Do US territories have electoral college votes?
Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, but do Puerto Ricans have presidential electoral college votes? It depends on where they live.
It’s Election Day in America and all across the country citizens are heading to the polls to cast their ballots. In a race with a seemingly razor-thin margin, a small number of votes may be the decider between a Kamala Harris or Donald Trump administration.
But not all votes have the same weight. What happens beyond the 50 states for residents of the five U.S. territories and Washington D.C.?
America is, after all, an umbrella term not limited just to the mainland, but extending to the (somewhat) newly minted states of Hawaii and Alaska, and to the five territories.
Washington D.C., formally the District of Columbia, is the only non-state that is granted electoral votes. Here’s a guide to the others.
Do US territories vote for president?
The U.S. territories include American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
While the territories participate in presidential primaries and send delegates to both the Republican and Democratic National conventions to help choose either party’s candidate, they are not granted electoral college votes. The Electoral College ultimately decides who occupies the White House, even if it doesn’t match the popular vote.
That does not, however, mean residents of the territories automatically can’t vote. Aside from American Samoa, residents of all four other territories have U.S. citizenship and can therefore vote in the general election if they live permanently in one of the 50 states or Washington D.C.
American Samoans are considered U.S. nationals, rather than U.S. citizens.
Does Puerto Rico vote for president?
Yes and no. Those born in Puerto Rico have American citizenship meaning Puerto Ricans living in any of the 50 states of Washington D.C. can vote for president if they have formal residency.
Over two-thirds of Puerto Ricans live in the 50 states and DC— roughly 5.8 million, the Pew Research Center reports, representing a sizable and important voting bloc.
Does Guam vote for president?
Like Puerto Rico, the island of Guam itself does not have electoral votes.
However, residents of Guam living in any of the 50 states or Washington DC can cast their ballots in those states and be part of the electoral process.
Do US territories have representation in Congress?
Each US territory elects one member of the House of Representatives, however, that member does not have voting powers. The territories have no representation in the Senate.
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Publish date : 2024-11-05 07:59:00
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