Will citizens from Puerto Rico vote in the 2022 Midterm Elections?
Puerto Rican citizens live in limbo, and while able to cast a ballot for certain offices, their influence over federal law is very limited.
Puerto Ricans, while US citizens, do not have equal representation under federal law compared to those residing in the fifty states.
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Residents of the island do not have representation in Congress and are not able to vote for the president during general elections. This means that Puerto Ricans living on the island will not vote in the upcoming election as their only non-voting representative in Congress won’t be up for election until 2024.
Why can’t Puerto Ricans vote for president?
That’s because, despite Puerto Ricans being granted US citizenship back in 1917, the conditions of their colonial status did not include the right to vote in federal elections. For Puerto Ricans living on the mainland, voting in federal elections is possible through the state they are living in. For instance, those living in New York will be able to vote for the senate, congress, and president.
Without congressional representation, the island’s residents depend on the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico to advocate their interests and encourage lawmakers to allocate funds for their priorities. Jenniffer González currently serves as the Resident Commissioner. González was first elected in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020.
Similarly, Puerto Rico elected their newest governor Pedro Pierluisi in 2020.
Voting for Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives and Senate occurs every four years and always aligns with General Elections.
What party controls the legislature?
In Puerto Rico, there are political parties unique to the island. In the House of Representatives, the Popular Democratic Party (PDP), with twenty-five seats, has the greatest number, followed closely by New Progressive Party, with twenty-one seats. Both parties are ideologically centrist, with the PDP leaning more towards the liberal end of the spectrum. These two parties also hold the majority of seats in the Senate.