[1][a] It elects one deputy to the lower house of Congress for each three-year legislative period 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 fourth region.

[6] The district's head town (cabecera distrital), where results from individual polling stations are gathered together and tallied, is the resort city of Acapulco.

The 4th district was located in the western sector of the municipality of Acapulco but with a smaller surface area than under the 2022 plan, covering 223 precincts.

[9][10] 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.