By The opinion
Apr 28, 2024, 9:46 PM EDT
The Democratic Party of Puerto Rico awarded the president of the United States, Joe Biden, the first 36 of the 65 delegates on Sunday who will represent the island at the National Convention in Chicago in August, to ratify their candidacy for the arduous race for the White House.
Puerto Rico is a commonwealth associated with the United States. and their electors cannot vote for the president of the United States in general elections. However, the island can hold presidential primaries for both major parties, Democratic and Republican, and send delegates to national conventions this summer.
Puerto Rico was authorized to open only a dozen voting centers this year, compared with more than 100 in previous years, given recent austerity measures imposed by a federal control board that oversees the island’s finances.
On Sunday, Puerto Rico Democrats also elected 36 of the 65 delegates they hope to send to the Democratic National Convention to be held in Chicago at the end of August.
On March 13, Biden and Trump already reached the number of delegates necessary to mathematically declare themselves the candidates of their parties for the general elections to the White House.
Puerto Rico has 55 delegates at stake in the Democratic presidential primaries and the results of the scrutiny will be presented on April 30 general in which the vote by mail will be included and the final certification of the election will be issued.
Last Sunday, the Republican Party of Puerto Rico awarded former Republican president Donald Trump its 23 delegates who will represent the island in July at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, after the vote of approximately 77% of the 1,340 party officials.
Biden and Trump will have to wait for their party conventions to officially declare themselves candidates for the November elections.
The president of the Democratic Party of Puerto Rico, Charlie Rodríguez, He mentioned that he did not expect a large turnout in the elections because there was no great competition and because Biden already has guaranteed delegates.
In this context, Rodríguez accompanied by the president of the State Election Commission (CEE), Jessika Padilla, stated at the beginning of the elections that the expense for the electoral event was less than estimated and did not exceed $100,000.
The Democratic Party on the island and the EEC enabled 10 voting centers who were receiving votes.
Luis Dávila Pernas won the presidency of the Democratic Party of Puerto Rico on the island in March and will be Rodríguez’s replacement.
Puerto Rico has been a US territory since 1898 and is defined as a Commonwealth of that country, with its own Constitution and a certain degree of autonomy, although borders, defense and foreign relations are responsibilities that the US Government reserves.
*With information from DW and EFE.
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