this post was submitted on 31 Oct 2024
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Can Puerto Ricans vote as expats? (discuss.tchncs.de)
submitted 2 weeks ago by Bob_Robertson_IX@discuss.tchncs.de to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml
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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.

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[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 52 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

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.

[–] Bob_Robertson_IX@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

So this is where I'm confused because if I (an American citizen and resident) move to Japan, I can still vote. If I move to Puerto Rico, does that mean I can no longer vote?

[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 18 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

The key is where in the US are you a registered resident before you move to Japan. Please don't forget that Puerto Rico is not a foreign country. Puerto Rico is still the United States. So if you are a resident of Florida before going to Japan, you can vote. If you are a resident of Florida, move to Puerto Rico, but don't change your residency away from Florida, you can vote. If you are a resident of Puerto Rico, you cannot vote. That residence status applies to all US citizens. Residence in Puerto Rico eliminates your right to vote in US federal elections.

[–] jmcs@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 2 weeks ago

Colonialism is such a beautiful and logical thing. /s

[–] wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works 40 points 2 weeks ago

Immigrants who have left the USA vote in the last state they were registered in.

[–] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 35 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

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.

[–] Bob_Robertson_IX@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I know someone who has been living abroad for 25+ years and he still votes in every election. I'm not sure if there is a time limit, but it seems to be long if there is.

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 10 points 2 weeks ago

But probably last lived in a state. Something which PR is not.

US Territories - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

[–] kobra@lemm.ee 24 points 2 weeks ago

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

[–] techwooded@lemmy.ca 14 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

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.social 8 points 2 weeks 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.

[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 8 points 2 weeks ago

Don’t forget that these restrictions also apply to the Americans living in Guam, American Samoa...

You're going to hate this. People from American Samoa are not US citizens.

https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-12-part-a-chapter-2

[–] Sumocat@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks 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 7 points 2 weeks 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.ee 5 points 2 weeks ago

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