Can Puerto Rico vote in U.S. elections? What to know amid Trump rally backlash

Washington — Voters successful Puerto Rico who are angered by an offensive remark astir nan land astatine erstwhile President Donald Trump's run rally astatine Madison Square Garden successful New York connected Sunday person small recourse because residents of nan territory cannot ballot successful nan statesmanlike election. 

But location are millions of Puerto Ricans surviving successful 1 of nan 50 states who are eligible to vote. According to nan Pew Research Center, Puerto Ricans dress up nan second-largest Hispanic voting group, pinch astir 6 cardinal voters surviving successful nan mainland U.S. arsenic of 2021. Pennsylvania successful peculiar has a sizable Puerto Rican organization whose votes could make a quality successful nan battleground state. 

Days earlier Election Day, Trump's run is trying to region itself from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe who made respective racist and crude insults toward minorities astatine nan rally, including calling Puerto Rico a "floating land of garbage." 

Can Puerto Ricans ballot successful U.S. statesmanlike elections?

There are 3.4 cardinal residents surviving connected nan land of Puerto Rico, according to nan 2020 Census. Those residents of Puerto Rico are not permitted to ballot successful statesmanlike elections, though they're U.S. citizens and tin participate successful nan Republican and Democratic statesmanlike primaries. 

Puerto Ricans tin ballot successful national elections if they unrecorded successful 1 of nan 50 states aliases Washington, D.C., and are registered to vote.

What did Tony Hinchcliffe opportunity astir Puerto Rico astatine nan Trump rally?

Racist jokes made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who goes by nan shape sanction Kill Tony, overshadowed what was expected to beryllium Trump's closing message. 

"I don't cognize if you guys cognize this, but there's virtually a floating land of garbage successful nan mediate of nan water correct now. I deliberation it's called Puerto Rico," Hinchcliffe said. 

Trump's run said Hinchcliffe's jokes, which besides included violative jokes astir Black group and Latinos, were not pre-approved aliases reviewed by nan campaign. 

"This joke does not bespeak nan views of President Trump aliases nan campaign," elder advisor Danielle Alvarez said successful a statement.

Why isn't Puerto Rico a state? 

There's been a yearslong statement complete nan position of Puerto Rico, which became a U.S. territory successful 1898 aft Spain ceded it to nan U.S. pursuing nan Spanish-American War. 

Congress has been reluctant to springiness Puerto Rico statehood because of nan imaginable economical costs, arsenic good arsenic concerns astir really it would alteration nan equilibrium of powerfulness successful Washington. 

If it became a state, 2 senators would beryllium added to nan Senate and it would person proportional practice successful nan House. 

Puerto Rico has held a bid of nonbonding votes connected its narration pinch nan U.S., astir precocious successful 2020 successful which much than half of voters said nan land should beryllium granted statehood. 

What different U.S. territories are excluded from statesmanlike elections?

Like Puerto Rico, residents of these U.S. territories cannot ballot successful statesmanlike elections: American Samoa, Guam, nan Northern Mariana Islands and nan U.S. Virgin Islands. 

Except for residents of American Samoa, those calved successful nan different 4 American territories are U.S. citizens and tin ballot successful national elections if they unrecorded successful 1 of nan 50 states aliases Washington, D.C. Residents of American Samoa, who are U.S. nationals, are not eligible to ballot successful national elections moreover if they unrecorded successful 1 of nan states. 

In:
• Donald Trump
• Puerto Rico
• 2024 Elections