[1] 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 third region.

[6] Between 2005 and 2017, the 2nd district was located in the Altos de Chiapas region and covered the municipalities of Aldama, Bochil, Chalchihuitán, Chapultenango, Chenalhó, Francisco León, Huitiupán, Ixhuatán, Jitotol, Larráinzar, Ocotepec, Pantelhó, Pantepec, Pueblo Nuevo Solistahuacán, Rayón, San Andrés Duraznal, San Juan Cancuc, Santiago el Pinar, Simojovel, Sitalá, Tapalapa and Tapilula.

It covered municipalities from both the Los Altos region and the extreme north of the state: Amatán, Chapultenango, El Bosque, Francisco León, Huitiupán, Ixhuatán, Ixtacomitán, Ixtapangajoya, Jitotol, Juárez, Ostuacán, Pantepec, Pichucalco, Pueblo Nuevo Solistahuacán, Rayón, Reforma, Simojovel, Solosuchiapa, Sunuapa, Tapilula and Tapalapa.

[8] 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.