When Hawaii was a territory, the residents couldn’t vote in presidential elections, even though they were affected by the actions of the president. One of the main reasons Hawaii wanted statehood was to be able to participate in U.S. elections. Hawaii became a state in 1959, and in 1960 Hawaiians voted for president.
People were very excited to have the vote, naturally, but things got complicated. The vote — between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy — was so close that Hawaii had not come up with a final result by the time the Electoral College met. The governor initially certified the state for Nixon, but Democrats sued and the court ordered a recount. Hawaii chose two slates of Electors: one ready to vote for Nixon and one ready to vote for Kennedy.
The recount began, but hadn’t been finished before the deadline, so both slates of Electors from Hawaii turned their results in to Congress. On December 28th of 1960, the recount was completed, and it showed that Kennedy had won by 115 votes. In the U.S., majority rules, no matter how close the vote. Hawaii, which had been expected to be a Republican state, voted for Kennedy, a Democrat.
As it turned out, Hawaii was not the deciding vote in that election. By the time Hawaii made its choice official, Kennedy was already the clear winner. He became the 35th President of the United States, and is still ranked second only to Lincoln among presidents by Americans in some polls. Hawaiians may have felt that their vote didn’t make a difference in U.S. elections.
The territory of Puerto Rico, which cannot vote in presidential elections and has no voting members in Congress, may also feel that it doesn’t have any say in U.S. elections. As a state, the Island would have about 7 electoral votes, two senators, and around four voting Members of Congress. As a territory, Puerto Rico can’t fully participate in American democracy.
Does Puerto Rico’s status affect U.S. elections?
Puerto Rico does have some effect on national elections right now, even though it’s a territory. Puerto Rico has chapters of the national political parties — Republican and Democrat — and can vote in party primaries. Representatives attend their parties’ national conventions and have some influence on the party platforms.
Perhaps more strikingly, about 60% of all people identifying as Puerto Rican live in states. States like Pennsylvania and Florida which have seen significant growth in their Puerto Rican populations in recent years have seen changes in the way their residents vote. Just as Puerto Rico could be a swing state, the states with recent migrants from the Island are viewed as or have been swing states.
Since the great majority of residents of Puerto Rico are Hispanic, the importance of the Hispanic vote in the U.S. would certainly increase if Puerto Rico became a state, just as it has increased while Puerto Ricans have become the second largest Latino population in the states.
And yet, since Puerto Rico doesn’t vote, candidates often skip campaigning in Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico, where party affiliation is based on status preference rather than national party, campaigns may not bother to reach out to register voters. If Puerto Rico becomes a state, as Island voters have chosen in the past four plebiscites, a party or candidate that shows up for Puerto Rico could have an advantage in future elections.
If Puerto Rico should become independent, the United States would lose over three million potential voters. Puerto Ricans in a new sovereign nation of Puerto Rico would have no voice in U.S. elections. Puerto Rico would even lose its Resident Commissioner, essentially having no direct voice at all in U.S. decision making.
When Hawaii became a state, the strategic importance of the Pacific gained more importance in the national conversation. With a preponderance of Asian and Pacific Island residents, Hawaii was able to provide more representation on the national stage for these demographic groups. And, contrary to the expectations of Congress, the United States added a blue state.
