[1] It elects one deputy to the lower house of Congress for each three-year legislative session by means of the first-past-the-post system.

Votes cast in the district also count towards the calculation of proportional representation ("plurinominal") deputies elected from the fifth region.

[2][3] Michoacán lost its 12th district in the National Electoral Institute's 2022 redistricting process.

Under the new districting plan, which is to be used for the 2024, 2027 and 2030 federal elections,[4] the 2nd district covers 11 municipalities in the south-west of the state: The district's head town (cabecera distrital), where results from individual polling stations are gathered together and tallied, is the city of Apatzingán de la Constitución.

[10] The 2nd district's head town was at Ciudad Hidalgo – east of the state capital, Morelia – and it covered 12 municipalities: