If Puerto Ricans are not allowed to vote for the President, why doing Primaries?

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 09:19:52 -0500

Just yesterday, Marco Rubio won the Republican Primaries in Puerto Rico. I do admit I'm not an expert on Politics but, for me, it doesn't make any sense to do Primaries in a Territory that is not allowed to vote in the Presidential Elections.

Could you bring me some understanding here? Could you explain me why is this "important"?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 7 at 2016 9:22 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 09:22:56 -0500

Good question.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 7 at 2016 9:29 AM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 09:29:15 -0500

How many Puerto Rican's claim American Citizenship and how many Claim PR Citizenship? How many of the PR Citizens have denounced their American Citizenship?

Response by LTC David Brown made Mar 7 at 2016 9:32 AM

LTC David Brown — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 09:32:24 -0500

Puerto Rico is a part of the US and Puerto Ricans are US citizens

Response by SSgt Jim Gilmore made Mar 7 at 2016 9:35 AM

SSgt Jim Gilmore — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 09:35:59 -0500

They vote for their observers in Congress along with their local elections.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 7 at 2016 9:58 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 09:58:03 -0500

Porque si no se les da algo de consideracion, los boricuas se van a poner mas sabrosos que nunca.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Mar 7 at 2016 10:12 AM

MCPO Roger Collins — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 10:12:10 -0500

Much the same as Hawaii was a territory of the USA, before becoming a state. But, I do agree that it is a rather confusing aspect of our policies on voting and representation of a territory.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 7 at 2016 10:13 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 10:13:04 -0500

The short answer is because the parties wanted the voters there to.

The primary system is set up by each individual party, not the state or federal government.

Response by CPT Jim Schwebach made Mar 7 at 2016 10:19 AM

CPT Jim Schwebach — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 10:19:25 -0500

Because the Electoral College is based on the number of senators and representatives the individual states have and Puerto Rico has neither, residents of that commonwealth do not vote in national elections. BUT, primaries are not national elections, in fact they are truly private enterprises sponsored by the various political parties. Primaries elect representatives to the party convention. The number of delegates from each jurisdiction recognized by the particular party is up to the party. So if the GOP wants to have delegates from Puerto Rico (or Samoa) at their convention, they can. And the PR GOP can select how those delegates are chosen and implement the method chosen. Hence a primary in Puerto Rico. And the Puerto Rican Republicans, while they have no voice in who becomes President, do have some say in who gets nominated for that office.

Response by PO3 Donald Murphy made Mar 7 at 2016 10:26 AM

PO3 Donald Murphy — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 10:26:53 -0500

Well technically **YOU** aren't allowed to vote either (electoral college).

Response by MSgt George Lynch made Mar 7 at 2016 11:25 AM

MSgt George Lynch — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 11:25:30 -0500

I guess "WE COULD" have a lot of other primaries if PR sets the standard ! Currently, there are sixteen territories of the United States, six of which are permanently inhabited: Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Wake Island and American Samoa. Ten territories are small islands, atolls and reefs, spread across the Caribbean and Pacific, with no native or permanent populations: Palmyra Atoll, Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Wake Island, Midway Islands, Navassa Island and Serranilla Bank. Uninhabited Bajo Nuevo Bank is administered by Colombia, but claimed by the United States under the Guano Islands Act.

Territories can be classified by whether they are incorporated (part of the United States proper) and whether they have an organized government through an Organic Act passed by the U.S. Congress.

Response by MSG Brad Sand made Mar 7 at 2016 11:37 AM

MSG Brad Sand — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 11:37:09 -0500

They are a US territory.

Response by COL Ted Mc made Mar 7 at 2016 11:59 AM

COL Ted Mc — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 11:59:19 -0500

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member - Spec; The short answer is so that they don't realize that they are second-class "citizens" who are living in an American colony.

An American citizen who is living in the PRC is allowed to vote in primaries and is also allowed to cast a vote for President. A Puerto Rican American citizen who is living in Puerto Rico is only allowed to vote in primaries and CANNOT cast a vote for President.

An American citizen who has never lived in the United States of America in their entire life is allowed to vote in primaries and is also allowed to cast a vote for President. A Puerto Rican American citizen who has lived in the United States of America for their entire life until they returned to Puerto Rico to live is only allowed to vote in primaries and CANNOT cast a vote for President.

You may not LIKE the use of the word "colony", but Puerto Rico is NOT a part of the United States of America it is OWNED by the United States of America and that's what a colony is.

Response by TSgt Kenneth Ellis made Mar 7 at 2016 12:13 PM

TSgt Kenneth Ellis — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 12:13:40 -0500

I was thinking the same thing.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 7 at 2016 12:46 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 12:46:02 -0500

The reason is because the presidential election is governed by federal law, whereas the primaries are governed by political parties.
In other words, political parties can decide who their party nominee is by whatever criteria they choose. If they want to include US territories, such as Puerto Rico - that's up to them. If they'd like to include the citizens of England, or Angola, that's up to them.

Response by LTC Thomas Tennant made Mar 7 at 2016 3:33 PM

LTC Thomas Tennant — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 15:33:22 -0500

I can remember this very discussion back in the 1960's during the election cycle between Nixon and Kennedy. It has been a staple of political conjecture ever sense. Apparently, it was a way to entice Puerto Rico to become a state by giving them a taste of the election process. With a little research the whole story can be flushed out. What people do not realize is that Puerto Rico has little or no incentive to join the union. As a territory they can "suck" funding and other services from Uncle Sam without the problem of creating a stable economy on the island....it benefits them to keep things as they are.