Can Puerto Ricans vote for US president in 2024? See how many live in Texas
Puerto Rico residents outraged by the remarks a conservative comedian made about the island nation during a Sunday rally for Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden won't be able to make their displeasure known at the polls. But it could still impact the presidential race as both candidates vie for Latino voters to help get them to the White House.
Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who goes by the stage name Kill Tony, took the stage ahead of Trump during the presidential candidate's hometown campaignrally, where he derided Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”
The remarks, which drew condemnation from both sides of the political aisle, sent the Trump campaign into damage control,and his campaign sought to distance Trump from the comments.
Here's what to know about Puerto Rico's role in the Nov. 5 election.
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Does Puerto Rico vote for president in 2024?
More than two-thirds of Puerto Ricans live in the United States — roughly 5.8 million, according to Pew Research Center. Puerto Rican voters living in the U.S. make up the second-largest Latino group in the country, including in key battleground states like Pennsylvania.
But while an additional 3.3 million Puerto Ricans live on the island, a U.S. territory, they won't be able to vote for president.
Residents of the other four U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands) also do not have the right to vote in general elections.
The District of Columbia (a.k.a. Washington, D.C.) is the only jurisdiction outside the 50 states whose residents can vote for the president. It has three electoral votes.
How does Puerto Rico vote for president?
Even though those living in Puerto Rico cannot vote in the Nov. 5 election, or any other presidential election, they are able to help choose each party's nominee for president in the primary selection process.
Trump, who is seeing increased support among Latino men and has touted endorsements from Puerto Rican artists like Anuel AA and Nicky Jam, won Puerto Rico's 2024 GOP primary, winning 23 of the territory's Republican delegates. All 55 of its Democratic delegates voted for Joe Biden.
During Trump’s presidency, Puerto Rico was devastated by two back-to-back hurricanes in 2017 that killed more than 3,000 people and displaced thousands. At the time, Trump was criticized for his response to the storms after he downplayed the damage they caused, and an image went viral of him throwing rolls of paper towels to residents on the island.
Puerto Rico faces a gubernatorial election this November where the New Progressive Party has the lead.
Puerto Rican celebrities respond
Hinchcliffe spoke at Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden several hours before the former president in an opening act.
His remarks drew widespread criticism from Democrats, fellow Republicans, and major celebrities, even amid the Trump campaign's efforts to distance itself from the comedian.
Senior Trump advisor Danielle Alvarez issued a statement on Sunday night, saying, “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign."
Puerto Rican celebrities, including Grammy-winning artists Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin condemned Hinchcliffe's comments. Bad Bunny took to his Instagram, where he has 45.6 million followers, to share a video of Harris criticizing Trump’s actions against Puerto Rico when he was president and outlining her own agenda for the island.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz and New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, doing live coverage of the rally, also criticized Hinchcliffe and urged Puerto Ricans who live in Pennsylvania to watch the remarks for themselves.
How many Puerto Ricans live in Texas?
Roughly 5.8 million Puerto Ricans live in the U.S., and nearly 1% of that group lives in Texas. Texas has one of the largest Latino populations among the states, second only to California. In 2022, about 12.1 million Latinos lived in the Lone Star State, accounting for around 40% of its population, according to Pew Research Center.
In 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau reported 213,809 Puerto Ricans lived in Texas, making up 0.74% of the country's Puerto Rican population.
Is Puerto Rico part of the US?
As an unincorporated territory of the United States, Puerto Rico is neither an independent country nor U.S. state.
— Paste BN contributed to this report.