As the November elections in the United States and Puerto Rico near and the Democratic National Convention in Chicago gets underway, new polling suggests that Puerto Ricans -- both in the archipelago and in the diaspora throughout the United States -- consider the issue of democracy and decolonization in U.S. territories to be significant in who they decide to vote for. Earlier this year, Right to Democracy collaborated with La Brega y Fuerza and IZQ Strategies's polling to add a question regarding likely Puerto Rican voters' support of candidates who speak out in favor of a process of self-determination and decolonization for all five U.S. territories. The results show candidates for office in the United States and Puerto Rico could benefit by engaging voters on issues of democracy and self-determination in U.S. territories.

"With protecting democracy likely to be a big theme during the Democratic National Convention, the question is whether addressing outstanding issues of democracy and self-determination in U.S. territories will be part of the conversation," said Neil Weare, Co-Director of Right to Democracy, which works to confront and dismantle the undemocratic colonial framework governing U.S. territories. “People in the territories are too often left out when it comes to talking about democracy in the United States.”

"With more than two million Puerto Ricans living in states that will be competitive in the upcoming presidential and U.S. Senate elections, candidates and parties should recognize the importance of engaging on questions of self-determination and decolonization for Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories," said Adi Martínez Román, Co-Director of Right to Democracy.  

"There is not enough understanding in the U.S. and Puerto Rico about what Puerto Rican voters care about. This survey reflects a desire among Puerto Rican voters to see candidates engage on the important issues of democracy and self-determination, not just stay on the sidelines," said Gustavo Sánchez, Principal and Founder at IZQ Strategies, a polling firm that specializes in Latinx and other under researched groups. “This survey also suggests the potential of future research on democracy and self-determination in each of the five territories and their diasporic communities.”

"Our polling shows that supporting a process of self-determination and decolonization for people in all five territories is a winning issue for candidates seeking Puerto Rican votes, both stateside and in the archipelago," said Camille Rivera, founding board member of La Brega y Fuerza -- an organization that works to build a pipeline of power, democracy, self-determination and resilience for Puerto Ricans on the island and across the United States.

The survey asked 675 Puerto Ricans in the 50 states:

If a political candidate explicitly endorses and mentions as part of their platform their commitment to self-determination and a decolonization processes for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa, would this make you more likely or less likely to vote for this candidate, or would it not affect your choice?

A plurality of respondents expressed that they would be somewhat or much more likely to vote for candidates who support self-determination and decolonization. Overall, there was a net positive of 14 points. Younger voters saw the biggest net positive, at plus 28 points, but all age categories saw net positives of 10 points or higher. More educated voters also responded more favorably than those without any college education. The survey had a margin of error of ±4 percentage points.

The survey also asked 362 respondents in Puerto Rico the same question. Here are the results: 

Overall, nearly half of likely voters in Puerto Rico would be more inclined to vote for candidates who made explicit commitments to self-determination and decolonization. The net positive was even higher in Puerto Rico, at 18 points. Young voters responded the most favorably, with a plus 44 net positive, while voters over 60 only had a plus 7 net positive, suggesting some generational divides on the issue. As in the diaspora, voters with more education responded more favorably than those without any college education.  The survey had a margin of error of ±6 percentage points.

Additional Background on U.S. Territories and Their Diaspora

Overall, more than 2.7 million Puerto Ricans and people with ties to other U.S. territories live in states that may prove critical in upcoming elections for the President and U.S. Senate. This includes nearly 600,000 in the key states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan in the Midwest, and over 350,000 in the key states of Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia in the South. More than 1.1 million live in Florida. In a close election, these voters could play a decisive role. 

Altogether, more than 3.6 million people live in the five U.S. territories, a population equivalent to the five smallest states of the union. But these U.S. citizens are denied political rights and participation in the federal government, even as they pay more than $5 billion in federal taxes. At the same time, they are denied the right to determine their political relationship with the United States through a process of self-determination and decolonization. 

Over 98 percent of the residents of U.S. territories are people of color, including Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander, Afro-Caribbean, Indigenous, and more. These communities have higher rates of military service than any of the fifty states, with casualty rates in Iraq and Afghanistan between 3-7 times the national average. Federal policies deny people in U.S. territories Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), access to veterans benefits, other health benefits, data equity, and more. 

While people in U.S. territories cannot vote for President in November, they are included as part of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. Together, the territories have over 100 delegates at the Democratic National Convention, more than all but fifteen states.

**Updates**

2024 Party Platforms

Democrats recently released their 2024 Party Platform, which included specific language focused on people in U.S. territories:

D.C., PUERTO RICO, TERRITORIES

President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Democrats have made historic investments in Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa – delivering billions for infrastructure, semiconductor, clean energy, and transportation projects, and creating thousands of good jobs.

Democrats reject the unequal treatment of residents of D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories. We unequivocally support statehood for D.C., which its residents overwhelmingly support but Republicans blocked from even getting a vote in the Senate.

Democrats recognize that the people of Puerto Rico have earned and deserve to resolve the political status questions. For this reason, Democrats support the enactment of the Puerto Rico Status Act/H.R. 2757, and promote full civic and political representation for Puerto Ricans. We will work to end its unequal treatment by the federal government, and fight to provide equal access to federal programs like Medicaid, SNAP, and the CTC. Democrats reject Trump’s failed response to Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico, and will ensure that the federal government’s response to disasters in Puerto Rico is as urgent as it would be anywhere else in the country. When disaster does strike, we will speed access to recovery funds to help rebuild. We will build on the Administration’s investments to invest further in energy, infrastructure, economic development, education, health care, housing, energy, and climate resilience. We will help restructure Puerto Rico’s debt to relieve its debt burden, and we will work to dissolve the Financial Oversight and Management Board.

Democrats also support self-determination for the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. We will create a Congressional task force to study equal voting rights and House representation; and we will work to ensure equal access to federal programs like veterans’ benefits, the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and SNAP food assistance for all those eligible. Democrats support funding to improve critical health care facilities in the territories, including construction of a state-of-the-art medical complex in Guam that co-locates health agencies on a single campus for a more integrated healthcare system that will benefit the region. We will also invest in ending disparities in agriculture, economic development, education, employment, energy, health care, housing, and infrastructure, and help the U.S. territories diversify their economies. We will help them recover from natural disasters, and we will invest in expanding clean energy and water systems to be more resilient. Democrats support reimbursing U.S. territories for more migration costs, including restoring Medicaid eligibility for legal migrants under the Compacts of Free Association. And Democrats will continue to recognize the sacrifices and honor the contributions of residents who suffered because of their U.S. nationality during the Japanese occupation during World War.

Earlier this summer, Republicans released their 2024 party platform, which also included specific language on U.S. territories:

Republicans Will Protect Americans in the Territories.

The territories of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico are of vital importance to our National Security, and we welcome their greater participation in all aspects of the political process.