Illegal Status Hinders Mexican Voting Bloc

By PETER PRENGAMAN

Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- In a Mexican presidential election so close the winner won't be named for days, many expatriates did not vote for fear their illegal status in the U.S. would be exposed.

Thousands of Mexican expatriates streamed into border towns Sunday to vote in their homeland's elections and others were allowed to cast absentee ballots for the first time. But some were disenfranchised by their fear of crossing the border as undocumented residents.