Puerto Rico’s largest newspaper

  • ticho@lemmy.world
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    12 hours ago

    Wait, I thought Puerto Rico residents cannot vote in the presidential elections. Even Wikipedia seems to think so.

    • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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      4 hours ago

      You are correct, but there are a lot of Puerto Ricans who live in US states. If someone says “Italians must vote for Harris” it’s the same thing. Italians in Italy obviously can’t vote for her, but US Italian citizens can.

    • Keeponstalin@lemmy.world
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      8 hours ago

      Only within Puerto Rico, but they are still US citizens. The Puerto Ricans on the mainland, of which there are more than on the island, can vote.

    • Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world
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      9 hours ago

      People born in Puerto Rico can vote for president, as long as they are currently living in one of the 50 states.

    • dragontamer@lemmy.world
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      11 hours ago

      Puerto Rico has no electoral votes. But everyone born in Puerto Rico is a US Citizen.

      Meaning Puerto Ricans who are currently living stateside (ex: studying at a university and staying enough months of the year to qualify for residency) can vote.


      Similarly, a… Californian… who is living in Puerto Rico has no electoral votes. Because USA assigns votes by land.

      Every Puerto Rican is a USA citizen who has the right to vote. As long as they’re living in the correct area (ie: inside the 50 fully accepted states).

    • theprogressivist @lemmy.world
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      11 hours ago

      Not to sound like an asshole and not calling you out specifically, but I find it incredibly ridiculous and frustrating that Americans are so confused and ignorant about Puerto Rico.

      Edit: thanks RapidCreek for proving my point so well.

      • Rapidcreek@lemmy.worldOP
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        12 hours ago

        I wouldn’t find it too ridiculous. After all, most people in the US haven’t traveled outside it’s borders and the concept of other countries is just not something they encounter.

          • Rapidcreek@lemmy.worldOP
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            12 hours ago

            Yes, in fact it is outside US borders. It’s not a US state. It’s a protectorate, like the US Virgin Islands, and has its own government

              • Rapidcreek@lemmy.worldOP
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                11 hours ago

                Interesting subject. The US has many agreements with separate countries on travel. But, if you are traveling to another Caribbean island, and go through San Jaun for a connecting flight, you will be asked for your passport there as well as in Miami, or other US end point. Why? Because Puerto Rico has its own passport control, not US. Same is true of Canada, BTW.

                • Ithral
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                  16 minutes ago

                  Puerto Rico citizens have US passports…

              • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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                10 hours ago

                Its actually not their ignorance… its yours.

                Slightly older data, but almost assuredly worse or unchanged considering the shifts in economic prosperity and demographics post covid:

                • Eleven percent of survey respondents have never traveled outside of the state where they were born.

                • Over half of those surveyed (54 percent) say they’ve visited 10 states or fewer.

                • As many as 13 percent say they have never flown in an airplane.

                • Forty percent of those questioned said they’ve never left the country.

                • Over half of respondents have never owned a passport. (For years U.S. citizens did not need one to travel to Mexico, Canada and on many cruises, which may clarify the previous stat.)

                The ignorance in this instance, is in-fact, your ignorance, not Rapidcreek’s. You clearly have a misconception about how well-traveled or worldly US citizens are. In-fact, US citizens are shockingly poorly traveled within their own borders.

                So rapidcreeks’:

                I wouldn’t find it too ridiculous. After all, most people in the US haven’t traveled (…)

                shows they know more about the context of this situation than you do, and they are offering a plausible explanation to contain your exacerbation.

                And this response:

                No, it is ridiculous. Quit excusing the willful ignorance.

                Is really just inflammatory and not based in fact. Also you missed their very subtle joke.

                • theprogressivist @lemmy.world
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                  9 hours ago

                  Lol, so I’m ignorant for pointing out the ignorance of Americans? Just because they aren’t well traveled doesn’t excuse people from being ignorant of facts, especially those involving their own country and surrounding territories. It’s as sad as Americans not knowing US history, which ironically Puerto Rico is a part of. Nice try, though.

    • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
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      12 hours ago

      I’m going to jump in and defend this comment because it is technically correct. If you reside in Puerto Rico, you cannot vote. If you were born and raised in California, or Kentucky, or any other state and you move to Puerto Rico, you lose your right to vote. If you were born and raised in Puerto Rico but move to any of the fifty states, you can vote. Yes, it is stupid. All US citizens should have the right to vote, regardless of where they reside.

      Many Puerto Ricans who move out of the island tend to keep up with the goings on by streaming radio stations and reading online version of the newspaper like El Nuevo Dia. El Nuevo Dia is literally telling Puerto Ricans and people.of Puerto Rican decent that it is their duty to vote for Harris. This reads more like a mandate than an endorsement.

      • Dharma Curious (he/him)@slrpnk.net
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        9 hours ago

        Okay, I’m worried about jumping into this one because it seems to have gotten heated. But I’m really curious about something.

        I’m a US citizen, born in South Carolina. If I move to England, i can still vote via absentee ballot.

        If a Puerto Rican, an American citizen, moves to South Carolina, they can vote just like any other citizen.

        If I, born in the US mainland, moved to PR, would I be eligible to vote for the president via absentee ballot?

        Because if not, that’s genuinely fucked. If I can move to a whole ass other country and maintain that right, but lose it if I move to a part of my own country, that makes no sense. Honestly, it’s downright fucking hostile.

        • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
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          9 hours ago

          If I, born in the US mainland, moved to PR, would I be eligible to vote for the president via absentee ballot?

          Not if you declare Puerto Rico as your residence. If you have homes in three states, and split your time equally between them, you can still only be resident of one state. If you move to Puerto Rico permanently, you can still technically declare your residence as North Carolina as long as you maintain an address, drivers license and file taxes there. If so, you can vote absentee in North Carolina from Puerto Rico.

          EDIT: There is no difference between “Americans” and Puerto Ricans because they are all Americans. There is a difference between Puerto Rico and a US state. The people aren’t different, the territory is. I hope that clears it up a little for you.

          • Dharma Curious (he/him)@slrpnk.net
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            9 hours ago

            Re: your edit. Absolutely, I hope I didn’t suggest otherwise in my question.

            Re: the rest. That makes sense, I suppose. But it still seems genuinely fucked. Almost as if our laws are designed to give the middle finger to the island and it’s residents.

            • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
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              9 hours ago

              I totally understood you, I am just workshopping a one sentence answer because it comes up a lot. People always say “Puerto Ricans can’t vote” and that is not true. Plus it makes feel like “others” rather than Americans. The correct statement is that “Puerto Ricans can vote, Puerto Rico cannot.”

    • Rapidcreek@lemmy.worldOP
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      12 hours ago

      OK. So, you are a US citizen. So if you are a part of the 51/2 million Puerto Ricans that live in the US - YES you can and do vote in the state you reside. But, on the other hand, if you are part of the 31/2 million on the island - NO, you can not.