[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 first region.

[2][3] Under the National Electoral Institute's 2022 districting plan, which is to be used for the 2024, 2027 and 2030 federal elections,[4] the 1st district covers the state's nine northern municipalities, including the Islas Marías: Its head town (cabecera distrital), where results from individual polling stations are gathered together and tallied, is the city of Santiago Ixcuintla.

[6] The 1st district was in the north of the state and covered the municipalities of Acaponeta, El Nayar, Huajicori, Rosamorada, Ruiz, Santiago Ixcuintla, Tecuala and Tuxpan; i.e., the 2022 configuration without San Blas (assigned to the 3rd district).

[7] 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.