MEXICO CITY (AP) — The first presidential election to allow independents on the ballot was supposed to be a step forward for Mexico's costly, unwieldy electoral system, which has long been dominated by widely resented political parties.

But independent candidates are being forced to use smartphone app to collect the hundreds of thousands of signatures they need to get on the ballot in a country where coverage is spotty and a minority can afford smartphones

Independents from all ends of the political spectrum are calling the app faulty at best, and downright discriminatory and racist at worst.

Mexico's registered political parties get on the ballot automatically and are supposed to be almost completely funded by taxpayer money. Critics say the country's electoral institute is bloated, out-of-touch and in thrall to the political fat cats.