Puerto Ricans who are working to get a voice in U.S. presidential elections are about to file their case against the current U.S. policy with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, part of the Organization of American States. Puerto Ricans are likely to win in that forum.
Only states can take part in presidential elections through the electoral college system. Puerto Rico is not a state and therefore should have no voice in presidential election. Everyone needs to read the constitution before they think they should have a voice in our elections.
“Read the Constitution”?
What a bold new idea!
Joe Murphy has made a radical suggestion, and I hope everyone takes him up on it.
He is also right about only states being allowed a presidential vote.
Too bad there aren’t more Joe Murphy types in American politics.
That’s technically correct, except for one problem. Over four million US citizens are totally disenfranchised when it comes to their national government. The situation is that sometime after the Spanish-American War in 1898, the US changed its policy from “manifest destiny” (where all territories were destined to become states) to a policy of colonialism.
Around 1900 the US Supreme Court created a distinction between “incorporated” and “unincorporated” territories, where “incorporated” territories were destined for eventual statehood and the other territories for indefinited colonial status. Don’t forget that in 1896 that same Supreme Court had decided Plessy v. Ferguson establishing the doctrine of “separate but [un]equal”.
Obviously the fastest way for the residents of the territories to gain their full rights and responsibilities as citizens is through statehood, which I am all for. There is a bill in Congress, filed by Resident Commissioner Luis Fortuno, calling for a two-step referendum, in which Puerto Ricans would vote first if they want to remain a territory or if they want to change their status to a permanent form of self-government. If they vote against remaining a territory, they would have the chance of voting between statehood and independence. It is a simple bill and Congress has the time to pass it this year.
Four million US citizens are totally disenfranchised …
There are benifits to not being a state. Not paying Federal taxes for instance. Lots of companies open offices in Puerto Rico in order to take advantage of the benifits.
The Supreame court gave Puerto Rico residents two options.
1) Become a state
2) Change the constitution.
Puerto Rico residents have control over #1. There are paths to Puerto Rico voting rights, the residents choose not to use them.
Hi,
In addition to states having votes in the Presidential election, so does the District of Columbia. Three of the 538 Electoral College votes come from the District of Columbia.
The District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands have non-voting members in Congress. Of these five locations, only the D.C. has Presidential voting rights (XXIII Amendment).
That is true D.C. does get three electoral votes. That is unconstitutional and no politician has a spine to stand up for the constitution, thus violating their oath of office. Washington D.C. should not have any more rights than Puerto Rico.
To say that the residents of Puerto Rico pay no federal taxes is not entirely accurate. We have to pay Social Security taxes and those residents of Puerto Rico who work for the Federal Government, including members of the armed forces, have to pay federal income taxes.
Additionally, residents of Puerto Rico have paid, since 1917, a “blood tax” as faithful and loyal US citizens. In Korea and Vietnam, Puerto Rico’s share of casualties, on a per capita basis, was much higher than that of most states.
The lack of participation in the government that makes very important decisions over one’s life is totally unacceptable. So I don’t consider not having to pay federal income taxes to be an advantage at all. I’d prefer to pay federal income taxes (not that I will necessarily enjoy it), in exchange to be fully enfranchised as an American citizen.
Obviously, I support making Puerto Rico a state, with all the rights and responsibilities of the other states.
As for the District of Columbia, the Constitution was amended in 1961 to give them three votes in the Electoral College, so their participation is not unconstitutional.
The terms of the Treaty of Paris, when Spain ceded Puerto Rico to the United States, gives Congress the exclusive control over Puerto Rico, not the Supreme Court, not the people of Puerto Rico, but Congress. The failure of Congress to not make provision for presidential voting in Puerto Rico by the apportionment of electors is a shameful discrimination against 1.8 million U. S. citizens of voting age.
Michael Richardson
from everything I have read the citizens of Puerto Rico are split on the issue of statehood. I would love to see Puerto Rico become the 51st state but until the majority in Puerto Rico favor this will not happen. Changing peoples mind in Puerto Rico about statehood seems to me the first step of many for the citizens of Puerto Rico to have the same rights and priviledges other Americans enjoy
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