A few days ago at a Trump rally in New York, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe said that Puerto Rico was “an island of garbage floating in the middle of the ocean,” causing near-unanimous outrage in the Puerto Rican community (the second largest in the United States). Spanish group). Also, Puerto Rico automatically stood out. The island is a U.S. territory with millions of potential Hispanic votes. However, they will not be able to go to the polls in the presidential elections, and this is not an isolated situation.

Puerto Rico yes and no. The truth is it all depends on where they live. Residents of Puerto Rico, a US territory, will not be able to vote, but those living in the US will be able to vote.

There are more people in the second group than in the first: about 5.8 million versus 3.2 million. In fact, Puerto Rican votes are seen as particularly important in the key swing state of Pennsylvania. The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College estimates that 3.1% of voters are Puerto Ricans, natives of Puerto Rico, or people of Puerto Rican descent. Although it is not unique, it is a situation that needs to be examined.

“Second class” citizens. The truth is that there are several million American citizens in territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands or the Northern Mariana Islands, and they all share the same feature: they cannot vote in presidential elections. citizens and pay federal taxes.

This lack of representation creates a sense of injustice and resentment, as seen in Puerto Rico, where residents feel treated like second-class citizens.

Electoral Board System. The Electoral College, established by the United States Constitution, decides who becomes president. This system assigns electors to states and Washington DC based on their representation in Congress. But here the “problem” arises, the so-called regions do not have representation in this process and therefore do not participate in the presidential elections.

Although Washington DC gained this right with the 23rd Amendment in 1961, similar changes have not been made to the districts. Of course, residents of these areas can vote in presidential primaries organized by political parties, but not in general primaries. Citizens can participate in presidential elections if they move to one of the 50 states and register to vote.

We comply with Washington’s decision. Of course, the decisions of the President and Congress directly impact the lives of those who live in these districts (who cannot vote), as demonstrated by Donald Trump’s response to Hurricane Maria or the fiscal control board imposed during the Obama administration. However, those living in the regions do not have a say in these decisions. This causes a feeling of frustration and helplessness.

Fights for recognition and representation. Organizations like Right to Democracy are working to change this reality and advocate for greater influence over regions where 98% of the population is black. American Samoa’s Charles Ala’ilima suggests that the first step would be a referendum for residents to express whether they want to become a permanent part of the United States, which could lead to legal reforms that would integrate them into the national political process.

Although some have proposed constitutional amendments granting electoral college votes to districts, as in Washington, D.C., statehood efforts have moved slowly and always faced obstacles of one kind or another in Congress. It’s interesting because we’re talking about enclaves like Puerto Rico, whose total population is larger than five states, but still haven’t made significant progress.

The Desire for Self-Determination. It’s a logical step, at least for a large audience. Discontent led some Puerto Ricans to consider independence. In fact, in the upcoming elections the region’s citizens will vote in the seventh non-binding referendum on their status, including options for partial and full independence rather than statehood.

As some summarized in a common sentiment: “We don’t want to vote for the president of the United States, we want to vote for the president of Puerto Rico.”

Image | PXHere, Breezy Baldwin

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