During its existence, the 13th district returned one deputy to the lower house of Congress for each three-year legislative session by means of the first-past-the-post system.

From 1979 onwards, votes cast in the district also counted towards the calculation of proportional representation ("plurinominal") deputies elected from the country's electoral regions.

It was dissolved by the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) in the 2004/05 redistricting process because the state's population no longer warranted 13 districts.

[7] 1996–2005 In its final form, the 13th district comprised eight municipalities in the south-west of the state, along the border with Jalisco and Colima and the Pacific Ocean coast: The district's head town (cabecera distrital), where results from individual polling stations are gathered together and tallied, was the port city of Lázaro Cárdenas.

[8][9] 1978–1996 The districting scheme in force from 1978 to 1996 was the result of the 1977 electoral reforms, which increased the number of single-member seats in the Chamber of Deputies from 196 to 300.