Since 1984, the first U.S. citizens to mark ballots in the presidential election on Election Day have been the people of Guam. Like Puerto Rico and the other U.S. territories, Guam doesn’t have any representation in the Electoral College, so those votes don’t actually count. It’s a straw poll — a non-scientific survey used to gauge public opinion, Still, in nearly every election cycle Guam has voted for the winner. In 2016, Guam chose Hillary Clinton, the winner of the popular vote, not Donald Trump. But otherwise, they have gone along with the U.S. Electoral College every time.
In 2024, Puerto Rico will also hold a straw poll. On a special ballot, voters will get a chance to vote for either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. These votes, like those of Guam, will not choose an Elector for the Electoral College.
The Electoral College
Not all U.S. citizens realize that their votes do not directly elect the president. They guide the voting of the Elector for each state. Broadly speaking, if most of the voters in a state choose the Republican candidate, the state’s electoral votes go for the Republican. Equally, if the state’s voters mostly chose the Democrat, the electoral votes go for the Democrat. Whichever backdate receives 270 votes in total is the winner of the election.
The popular vote is counted, and it is usually the same as the electoral vote. In 2000 and 2016, however, the electoral vote was different. The United States doesn’t count close votes differently from completely clear majorities; the Republicans won in both those years, even though more citizens voted for the Democrats.
Puerto Rico’s straw poll
Back to Puerto Rico’s symbolic vote for president. Since Puerto Rico is not a state, Puerto Rico has no electoral votes at all. The votes of the Island’s voters do not count toward the presidential election.
What’s the value of this symbolic vote?
- It will be satisfying to ba able to cast a vote for president, even knowing that it will not sway the election. One could argue that the votes of Democrats in “safe” red states or of Republicans in “safe” blue states are only symbolic. In the battleground states, every vote may count, but Republican voters in California can be pretty confident that their vote will not change their state’s contribution to the presidential election.
- It may show that Puerto Rico will be a swing state, not a solidly blue state as many Republicans fear.
- It may bring out more voters.
- It makes a statement: Puerto Ricans want to vote for their president and should be able to. It can draw attention to the disenfranchisement of millions of U.S. citizens living in Puerto Rico.
The other symbolic vote
In the same election, there is another symbolic vote: the vote on Puerto Rico’s status. Since this is a plebiscite and not a binding vote, Congress is not required to take action. Yet Congress has the power — and the responsibility — to settle the question of Puerto Rico’s political status at any time. Already, the United States’s possession of a colony with more than three million U.S. citizens is an embarrassment for the United States. The U.S. has a hard time denouncing colonialism elsewhere in the world with its own colony right next door.
In previous plebiscites, anti-statehood factions have managed to sow doubt about the results — not convincingly, but well enough that it allowed Congress to sit back and say, “Well, as soon as you make up your minds, we’ll take action.”
In 2024, let’s have strong turnout, a clear result, and fewer chances for deception. Let’s overcome the tactic of election denial by voting for statehood in numbers large enough to show Congress that Puerto Rico will not back down. Make your plan to vote this year, and encourage your friends and family to do the same.
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