The political establishment, as embodied by the governing Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, which held power uninterrupted from 1929 to 2000, is perceived by many Mexicans as inclined to corruption and graft.

“To be born and grow up in a country ruled by the PRI meant you thought that there was one way of doing politics,” said Roberto Castillo, 27, a founding member of Wikipolítica, who is now running for a seat in Mexico City’s state-level Congress. “This meant patronage politics over merit, knowledge or leadership, and we were made to believe that was morally acceptable,” he said. “But that is changing.”

Carlos Brito is another youth activist looking to enter and change the political system.

An earthquake in September left thousands of people homeless in his small hometown, Jojutla, in the south-central state of Morelos, and local leaders were accused of hoarding aid for the victims. Mr. Brito, 30, said he could not bear the outrage, so he decided to run for mayor, leaving a successful digital start-up in Mexico City and moving back to Jojutla.

Both Mr. Kumamoto and Mr. Brito said one of the biggest challenges facing independent candidates is overcoming voter skepticism that the political status quo can be challenged.

“We have been convinced by this lunatic idea that nothing will ever change,” Mr. Kumamoto said. “That is what I call the anticipated defeat, and we must realize that is simply not true.”

Mr. Brito is a former member of a student movement that emerged in 2012 to protest media manipulation during the campaign of President Enrique Peña Nieto, who took office in December of that year.