WASHINGTON (AP) – Puerto Rico will hold its Democratic presidential primary on Sunday, the only chance for most of the island's registered voters to formally consider the race for the White House.
Like other U.S. territories, Puerto Rican voters cannot vote in general elections, but they may participate in presidential primaries and send delegates to the Democratic and Republican national conventions this summer.
President Joe Biden has already won enough delegates to secure the Democratic nomination and faces minimal opposition in Sunday's vote. The Democratic primary was originally scheduled for March 17, but once it became clear that Biden was certain to win the nomination, party officials moved the date and made other plans, including reducing the number of polling places. Implemented cost-cutting measures. The party estimates the scaled-down primary will cost less than $60,000, less than the roughly $1 million originally budgeted for by the State Board of Elections. Puerto Rico's Republican Party on Sunday scrapped its traditional primary and instead gave former President Donald Trump 23 delegates in a caucus-style vote in which about 77% of the 1,340 eligible party officials participated. Gave Congressman. Trump was the only candidate on the ballot.
Puerto Rico residents will not be able to vote in the presidential election in November, but they could still influence the Electoral College calculation. During the 2020 general election, both the Biden and Trump campaigns conducted outreach efforts in Puerto Rico, hoping that Puerto Rican voters would influence their friends and relatives back home.
Last month, Vice President Kamala Harris visited Puerto Rico to tout the Biden administration's disaster relief record and attend a fundraiser. The visit comes days after Biden launched a new effort to target Latino voters.
Approximately 5.8 million Puerto Ricans live in 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to an analysis of 2023 census data by the Pew Research Center. Approximately 21% of Puerto Ricans in the state reside in Florida, followed by 17% in New York, and 8% each in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
President Trump carried Florida by 3 percentage points in 2020 and by 1 percentage point in 2016. Pennsylvania was even closer, with Biden winning by 1 percentage point in 2020 and Trump winning by less than 1 percentage point in 2016.
Biden won the 2020 Puerto Rico primary, but it was postponed twice to the end of the Democratic primary schedule in mid-July because of the coronavirus pandemic. He received 62% of the vote, ahead of Bernie Sanders with 15% and Michael Bloomberg with 14%. Hillary Clinton had a similar result in 2016, with 61% of the vote and Sanders 38%. Clinton also won Puerto Rico in 2008, when it was one of the last voting stops in a marathon nomination race between the former U.S. Secretary of State and then-Sen. barrack obama.
Let's see what happens on Sunday.
primary day
Puerto Rico's Democratic presidential primary will be held on Sunday. Voting is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET.
Voting details
The Associated Press provides coverage of the Democratic presidential primary. This is the only contest on the ballot. Those appearing on the ballot include Biden, self-help author Marianne Williamson, and Congressman Dean Phillips, who suspended his campaign after Super Tuesday and endorsed Biden.
who can vote
Puerto Rico does not register voters by political party, so all voters registered by March 29 will participate in the primary if they are willing to sign a document declaring themselves a Democrat at the polling place. I am qualified. Those who do not want to sign the document cannot vote.
Representative assignment rules
Puerto Rico's 55 Democratic Party pledged delegates are allocated according to the national party's standard rules. Twelve at-large delegates are allocated in proportion to the statewide vote, and seven her PLEO delegates, or “party leaders and elected officials,” are also allocated. A total of 36 delegates are at stake in the state's eight state Senate districts, with delegates allocated proportionally to each district's voting results. To qualify for a statewide delegate, a candidate must receive at least 15% of the statewide vote, and to qualify for a delegate in a congressional district, a candidate must receive at least 15% of the votes in that district. You need to get more than 15% of her.
decision memo
Biden is the overwhelming favorite in the primary. Initial indications that he is winning statewide at a level consistent with the overwhelming margins seen in most other contests held this year may be enough to determine a statewide winner. not.
The Associated Press does not make predictions and declares a winner only if it determines there is no scenario in which a successor candidate closes the gap. Even if a race is not called, The Associated Press will continue to report on newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. At that time, The Associated Press will clarify that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.
What will turnout and advance voting look like?
Voter turnout in past Puerto Rico Democratic primaries has varied widely, depending on the competitiveness of the race and other factors.
Only 6,302 votes were cast in the 2020 primary. In 2016, Puerto Rico's Democratic Party cast 89,188 votes in the June 5 election, the penultimate day of the primary calendar. Approximately 387,000 votes were cast in the 2008 primary between Obama and Clinton.
Voters had until March 14 to request an absentee ballot by mail. A limited amount of early voting will be available to those who qualify and request it by March 9, party officials said. Early voting will also be available to inmates at correctional facilities on Friday.
How long does it take to count votes?
Voting ends at 3pm ET. Party officials expect final results to be released by around 5 p.m. Eastern time.
Have you arrived yet?
As of Sunday, there are 113 days until the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and 191 days until the November general election.
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