Hillary supporters, do you support Puerto Rico getting to vote in the General Election?

[CreekDog]

Poll question: Hillary supporters, do you support Puerto Rico getting to vote in the General Election?

Clinton wants Puerto Rico to be able to vote in the general election regardless of state/territorial status.

May 25, 2008 12:59 PM

Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., visited an evangelical church Sunday morning in Hormigueros, Puerto Rico. Clinton, Saturday night, had said that she thought Puerto Ricans should have the right to vote for the president. “I believe you should have a vote in picking the president, too.”

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/05/clinton-no-pref.html

On Sunday, according to Mike Memoli of NBC News and the National Journal, the former first lady told one crowd in Puerto Rico, "This primary next Sunday is one of the most important votes you will cast. You will get to help pick the next president of the United States. Someday I hope that regardless of statusyou're able to help vote for the president of the United States in the general election.”

[WeDidIt]

1. Only if they become a state

Otherwise, Nope.

[papau]

3. I believe that was to be assumed - or the OP is disingenuous

[WeDidIt]

4. IT was not assumed in Hillary's promise to Puerto Rico. n/t

[Occam Bandage]

5. How would it be disingenuous? OP says, "regardless of status."

[CreekDog]

8. Hillary said it, look at the quotes

you are shameless.

[Spider Jerusalem]

2. Answer, from someone who doesn't support Clinton:

Puerto Rico is not a state, therefore it does not get to vote in general elections for President. The only way to change this is to amend the Constitution.

[Arkansas Granny]

6. Maybe I'm dense, but why does Puerto Rico get to vote in the primaries and

get a voice in selecting the nominees when they can't vote in the GE? This doesn't make much sense to me.

[LordJFT]

9. good question

You'd think the primary should be decided by people that will pick the winner.

[chascarrillo]

16. I am damn proud that we give Puerto Rico a voice in the primary.

Puerto Rico is home to millions of American citizens. Disallowing them of any say in electing a President is well nigh unconscienable.

Of course, as other posters have said, the Constitution absolutely prohibits them from voting in the General Election. To do so, PR needs to become a state. Until then, I think that giving them a say in the primary will have to do. And I'm glad we do it.

[LordJFT]

19. I'm not against giving them a say in the general (either by statehood or amendment)

But it makes no sense to have people deciding the nominee who won't be voting in the general.

[TechBear_Seattle]

10. Legally, the primaries have absolutely nothing at all to do with the general election, that's why

The one and only purpose of the primary is to allow major parties to poll those who are affiliated with the party on who should be the nominee. No one is actually elected, and the results of the primary have no legal standing. Case in point: when Washington State moved to a primary system, the Democratic Party of Washington has flat-out refused to abide by the results and instead apportions delegates to convention based on caucuses. The state Republican Party selects only half of their delegates based on the primary results; the other half is selected by caucuses.

There is no law which prohibits the people of Puerto Rico from participating in a political party's national convention; thus, there is no law which prohibits the people of Puerto Rico from voting in the primaries. But under the US constitution, the states, not the people, elect the president. Since Puerto Rico is a commonwealth and protectorate, not a state, it is not allowed to vote for president.

I believe that Puerto Rico has observers in both the House and Senate, basically, representatives who have a voice (can speak from the floor, are committee members, etc.) but no vote. Such observers would be elected on Election Day.

Added While looking up info for post #12 on this thread, I found out that Puerto Rico has a delegate in the House of Representatives, as does the District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoa and the US Virgin Islands, but no representation in the Senate. Delegates to the House of Representatives are elected on Election Day.

[iamthebandfanman]

11. simply put

primaries are ran by the political partys... GEs are ran by the government...

if thats wrong, someone please correct me ;)

[Gore1FL]

13. I think

It builds the party in local elections.

[Shakespeare]

7. Yeah, let's give PR a vote in the general while DC still goes unrpresented in Congress.

In sum: No fucking way.

(former DC resident here)

[TechBear_Seattle]

12. The District of Columbia IS represented, by Eleanor Norton

She is in the House of Representatives and sits on several committees. Legally, her position is as Delegate, not Representative, as only states are represented in Congress and DC is not a state. She cannot vote for final passage of a bill, but otherwise she has all the power, perqs and priviledges of any other member of the House.

The District has no representation in the Senate, true enough. But it is not correct to say it is not represented in Congress. :hi:

[Gore1FL]

14. Doesn't PR have a non voting member of the house and Senate?

[TechBear_Seattle]

15. They have a Delegate too. See post #10, added portion n/t

[Shakespeare]

18. Eleanor Holmes Norton has NO POWER.

I know quite well how the lack of DC representation works in the house. She has no voting power; thus, there is no representation.

No vote = no power. How much clearer does that need to be?

I lived in DC for several years, and know up close and personal how utter and complete the lack of representation is, thank you very much.

[Zachstar]

17. Become a state first