I’ve heard that the reason Puerto Ricans can’t vote is because Puerto Rico isn’t a state and it is states that choose the president, not voters. But what about expats living abroad? Do they just get to pick which state gets their vote? If so, couldn’t Puerto Ricans do that too?And what about people in DC? Where do their electoral college votes come from?

I’m sure I’m missing something here, I’m just not sure what.

  • Jo Miran
    25·
    4 hours ago

    Puerto Rico ≠ Puerto Ricans

    Puerto Rico doesn’t get to vote. So anyone who is a registered resident of Puerto Rico, regardless of birth location, does not get to vote in federal elections. Full stop.

    Puerto Ricans are US citizens with all the rights and privileges that go with that. They can vote in federal elections as long as they are not a registered resident of Puerto Rico. So if someone is born in Puerto Rico, moves to Florida and declares that their place of residence, then moves to Paris, France. They can vote via absentee ballot.

    TL;DR: Puerto Ricans, yes. Puerto Rico, no.

  • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
    241·
    6 hours ago

    DC gets 3 electoral votes. PR gets none. But, Puerto Ricans are Americans, and can move to any state they like and register to vote there. But they do have to establish residency in that state. If they then leave the country and vote by mail, their votes would count in the state where they established residency.

    So someone living in PR who moved to PA, established residency there, and then went home could request an absentee ballot, but I don’t know how long they could live outside the state and still be registered there.

  • kobra@lemm.ee
    22·
    7 hours ago

    They would have to establish residency in one of the states before moving abroad.

  • techwooded@lemmy.ca
    102·
    6 hours ago

    Don’t forget that these restrictions also apply to the Americans living in Guam, American Samoa, and the US Virgin Islands, as they all have the same status as Puerto Rico. It’s interesting too because citizens of the 50 states can vote absentee from other countries, and American Astronauts have voted from space. That would make Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, and American Samoa the only places in the universe an American can’t vote for President

    • KoboldCoterie@pawb.socialEnglish
      6·
      5 hours ago

      That would make Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, and American Samoa the only places in the universe an American can’t vote for President

      An American who is registered to vote in a state can vote from Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands or American Samoa just like an American who is registered to vote in a state can do so from another country, or from space. An American who is not registered to vote in a state cannot vote from anywhere, regardless of where that is.

    • Sumocat@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      5 hours ago

      No, it applies to Americans voting in the territory’s election. Americans from States can vote absentee on their States’ ballots while living in U.S. Territories. A sailor from a State deployed to Guam can vote in the election of their State. But anyone voting in Guam’s election doesn’t have an option to vote for president.

  • ricecake@sh.itjust.works
    5·
    6 hours ago

    You can vote from overseas in whatever location was your last permanent US residence.
    People in DC get to vote for president because a special law was passed giving them electoral votes.

    People in Puerto Rico have a US permeant residence that doesn’t let them vote for president, so they can’t legally vote from a different jurisdiction.
    One of the proposals that’s come up occasionally is to make a similar law for Puerto Rico as we did for DC, but there’s never enough consensus on any plan to go forward, up until relatively recently.

  • EABOD25@lemm.eeEnglish
    3·
    6 hours ago

    You would have to live in a state (Hawaii included) long enough to be in resident status, then they can register to vote