Puerto Rico is gearing up for its Democratic presidential primary on Sunday, providing registered voters on the island with their only chance to participate in the race for the White House. While residents of U.S. territories like Puerto Rico cannot vote in the general election, they can take part in presidential primaries and send delegates to the national conventions of both major parties.
President Joe Biden has already secured enough delegates to clinch the Democratic nomination and is expected to face minimal opposition in Sunday's primary. Originally scheduled for March 17, the Democratic primary was rescheduled and streamlined to reduce costs after Biden effectively secured the nomination. The scaled-back primary is estimated to cost less than $60,000, a significant reduction from the initial budget of around $1 million.
On the Republican side, Puerto Rico opted to forgo a traditional primary and awarded its 23 delegates to former President Donald Trump in a caucus-style vote where Trump was the sole candidate on the ballot.
While Puerto Ricans cannot vote for president in the general election, their influence could still impact Electoral College calculations. Both the Biden and Trump campaigns made efforts to engage with voters in Puerto Rico in the 2020 election, hoping to sway voters who could in turn influence friends and relatives on the U.S. mainland.
With approximately 5.8 million Puerto Ricans residing in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, their presence is significant, particularly in states like Florida, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. These states have been closely contested in recent elections, with narrow margins of victory for both Biden and Trump.
In the upcoming Puerto Rico Democratic primary, voters will have the opportunity to choose between Biden, self-help author Marianne Williamson, and U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, who has endorsed Biden despite suspending his campaign after Super Tuesday.
Delegates in Puerto Rico are allocated based on standard national party rules, with a total of 55 pledged Democratic delegates up for grabs. Candidates must meet a 15% threshold to qualify for delegates at both the statewide and district levels.
Turnout in past Democratic primaries in Puerto Rico has varied widely, with the number of votes cast ranging from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands depending on the competitiveness of the race. Early voting and mail-in absentee ballots were available to eligible voters ahead of the primary, with final results expected shortly after polls close on Sunday.
As the Democratic National Convention approaches in Chicago and the November general election draws nearer, the outcome of the Puerto Rico primary could have implications for the broader political landscape.
