this post was submitted on 28 Oct 2024
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Puerto Ricans cannot vote in general elections despite being U.S. citizens, but they can exert a powerful influence with relatives on the mainland. Phones across the island of 3.2 million people were ringing minutes after the speaker derided the U.S. territory Sunday night, and they still buzzed Monday.

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris is competing with Trump to win over Puerto Rican communities in Pennsylvania and other swing states. Shortly after stand-up comic Tony Hinchcliffe said that, “I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” Puerto Rican reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny announced he was backing Harris.

After Sunday’s rally, a senior adviser for the Trump campain, Danielle Alvarez, said in a statement that Hinchcliffe’s joke did “not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”

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[–] [email protected] 74 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I look forward to the inevitable exit polls showing just how much Nazi Fest 2024 sank the GröpenFührer/Cöuchfücker ticket.

Come on, sanity! You can do it!

[–] [email protected] 15 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

I have no faith left in this country, he shouldn't even have gotten this far. I fully expect this to somehow raise his popularity, followed by a glowing endorsement from WaPp and Eric Adams

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-10-02-0065

There was one difficulty however of a serious nature attending an immediate choice by the people. The right of suffrage was much more diffusive in the Northern than the Southern States; and the latter could have no influence in the election on the score of the Negroes. The substitution of electors obviated this difficulty and seemed on the whole to be liable to fewest objections.

The electoral college was purely designed to let southerners use their slaves for votes. Letting Puerto Ricans vote doesn't help Southerners cheat.

[–] [email protected] 46 points 1 day ago (7 children)

I’ve never understood the whole Puerto Rico situation. Your country was built on the rage of having taxation without representation. Why is it that Puerto Rico isn’t allowed to participate in your elections despite being US citizens?

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 day ago

Because racism.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 day ago

Because our system is ~~broken af~~ designed and manipulated by powerful rich rascists who don't want to give up control.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It's really racism. But if you want the legalistic explanation, here it is....

The United States started out with 13 states that were all ex-British territories on the Eastern seaboard of North America. There are now 50 states. Every state after the first 13 got its statehood by first being a territory, adopting a state Constitution at a constitutional convention, and then getting that Constitution approved by US Congress, and so being "admitted to the Union."

Under the Constitution, only states (and Washington DC) participate in the electoral college. The concept of non-state "territory" did not necessarily exist when that part was written, because there were only the original 13, and the Louisiana purchase wasn't done until later.

[Washington DC is a very special "district" that is not a state and not a territory.]

Puerto Rico has stayed at the territory stage since it was acquired in the Spanish-American war (started 1898). Why? Well, mostly racism. There have also been some popular votes in Puerto Rico, with very mixed results. In the currently evenly split political climate, getting any new state admitted is probably impossible (as it was before the civil war).

There's also some undercurrent that maybe the US is kinda uncomfortable holding on to these overseas islands (which are mostly connected to the same Spanish-American war). Philippines became an independent country. On the other hand, Hawaii got statehood in 1959 (but there was a whole racist history there of white colonization).

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago

Yeah this is kind of the answer I was looking for. I didn’t really ask the question properly tho. Thanks.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 day ago

They don't pay federal income tax (but they do pay other federal taxes, like payroll taxes including social security).

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 day ago

Tell your hermanos, hermanas, amigos and amigas.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 day ago (8 children)

Puerto Ricans cannot vote in general elections despite being U.S. citizens

So, is anyone still under an ilusion that the US is a democracy?

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This is the case for all American territories. A statehood referendum has been put up multiple times throughout the years and there's never been a really definitive result.

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