We've been having a spirited discussion on Americans living in the US territories barred from voting in presidential elections. As an FYI, they do vote in the primaries.
By way of background, the constitution gives the power to elect the potus via the electoral college to the states, very likely do to the thinking that average Americans were too ill-informed to cast an informed ballot for such an important position. With advances in mass news media, over time every state transitioned from having the state legislatures pick their electoral college delegates to holding general elections in each state. Since the constitution does not specify how each state should select their electoral college delegates, there was no need to amend the constitution.
Inadvertently left out of the process were residents of Washington, DC and the US territories since they do not live in a state. It wasn't until 1961 that Washingtonians finally got to vote for president. This anomaly does not apply to Americans born in the US territories, only Americans who live in the US territories. If a Puerto Rican moves to Orlando, he instantly becomes eligible to vote in Florida elections. However, if a Texan moves to Puerto Rico he instantly loses his right to vote in presidential elections but votes instead for the mayor of San Juan, governor of Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico delegate to Congress in Washington and the Puerto Rico legislature. An even greater anomaly is if a New Yorker moves to Pakistan, he gets to vote for President of the United States by mail. Only Americans living in the US territories are banned from voting for president.
In your view, what is the best way to address this oddity?
If you agree with the link, then you should be able to argue the points inside effectively. If you don't feel like doing that, ok fine, but I don't know how you can take much of a stand.
As far as I can recall, the FF weren't necessarily big on political parties, so I don't think you are necessarily sided with the FF on that issue.
You think you're being real clever by finding one single point that SOME mind not all FF's didn't like, and with that contortion you think you can throw out the rest of the link. And it's plainly obvious that not all FF's were against parties, SINCE THEY FORM THEM. FAIL, and end of discussion.
I'm sure of it. The exception would be if you moved to one of the territories and choose to not to become a legal resident and vote absentee back in the states. This would be very difficult to do over the long term because you could not get a local driver's license. That would affect your ability to get auto insurance, enroll your kids in school and your ability work. I imagine you could do it but would need to be well off enough to maintain two residences; one in the states and another in the territory. However, even if you could pull it off, the American citizens born there and have lived there all their lives would have no stateside address from which they could vote absentee. They have to sign up for selective service, maybe get drafted into the US military but can't vote for president.
We've been having a spirited discussion on Americans living in the US territories barred from voting in presidential elections. As an FYI, they do vote in the primaries.
By way of background, the constitution gives the power to elect the potus via the electoral college to the states, very likely do to the thinking that average Americans were too ill-informed to cast an informed ballot for such an important position. With advances in mass news media, over time every state transitioned from having the state legislatures pick their electoral college delegates to holding general elections in each state. Since the constitution does not specify how each state should select their electoral college delegates, there was no need to amend the constitution.
Inadvertently left out of the process were residents of Washington, DC and the US territories since they do not live in a state. It wasn't until 1961 that Washingtonians finally got to vote for president. This anomaly does not apply to Americans born in the US territories, only Americans who live in the US territories. If a Puerto Rican moves to Orlando, he instantly becomes eligible to vote in Florida elections. However, if a Texan moves to Puerto Rico he instantly loses his right to vote in presidential elections but votes instead for the mayor of San Juan, governor of Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico delegate to Congress in Washington and the Puerto Rico legislature. An even greater anomaly is if a New Yorker moves to Pakistan, he gets to vote for President of the United States by mail. Only Americans living in the US territories are banned from voting for president.
In your view, what is the best way to address this oddity?
The electoral college makes no sense to me anyway.
Washington DC being an exception, the territories should not be voting.
Why not?
I have no reason to doubt you, but something just seems wrong. Maybe not. Those ex-pat living in foreign countries maintain their citizenship and as such are allowed to vote. I just find it hard to believe if I moved from Georgia to Guam I would lose my voting rights. Especially if I did not renounce my U.S. citizenship.
IT very well could be, as a resident of Georgia and a U.S. citizen I can vote for president. Maybe not as a U.S. citizen from the territory of Guam if Guam was my residence. It all seems so strange and weird.
Because they're not American states with the same access and responsibilities of American states, nor do they have congressional representation.
Don't take my word for it..
The defendants, "agree that citizens of the United States living in the U.S. Virgin Islands deserve every right and privilege that is afforded to any other U.S. citizen under the constitution," according to the government's answer filed in Superior Court on St. Thomas.
Judge to hear V.I. case for right to vote in federal elections - News - Virgin Islands Daily News
Puerto Rico held its Republican primary on March 19. Puerto Ricans are full citizens of the United States, but as a consequence of living in Puerto Rico, have no voting rights for the U.S. President or for the U.S. Congress –
FairVote.org | Puerto Rico and Other Territories Vote in Primaries, But Not in General Election
Although territories like Puerto Rico can hold primaries and caucuses to select delegates for the parties' conventions, the 4 million U.S. citizens living there cannot vote in the general election.
In U.S. Territories, Voting for President Remains Distant Goal - Los Angeles Times
Perhaps it has something to do with becoming a state. Any of these territories could held a referendum and request to become a state. The fact they choose not too relegates them to the no vote status. Seems to me we went to war over taxes without representation.
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