American Samoa delivered a primary surprise but can U.S. territories vote for president?
Jason Palmer's Democratic primary win in American Samoa on Super Tuesday brings attention to the territories of the United States territories and whether their residents can vote in U.S. elections.
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What territories and commonwealths does the United States currently have?
The United States currently occupies over 14 territories and commonwealths, five of which are permanently inhabited - Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
According to a 2021 U.S. Commission of Civil Rights Report, these territories have a total population of 3.5 million, 98 percent of whom are ethnic or racial minorities. This is equivalent to the number of people residing in the country's five least-populated states - Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
What is the difference between a state and a territory? How did the United States acquire these territories?
Territories and commonwealths have a different relationship with the federal government than states. While residents of regions and states can both serve as military personnel, they differ in the federal taxes they have to pay, their level of political representation, and the political races they may vote in. Territories and commonwealths were often brought under the control of the United States through military force, such as Puerto Rico, in the 1898 Spanish-American War. Many of today's 50 states, such as Alaska and Hawaii, started as territories.
Are residents of these territories U.S. citizens?
Residents of America's five territories and commonwealths are technically U.S. citizens. They hold U.S. Passports and can travel freely within the United States. However, as articulated in a 2022 Supreme Court Case, residents of these territories do not have the same eligibility for the Supplemental Security Program and other federal benefits that residents of America's 50 states do.
Do they have the right to vote?
Residents of U.S. territories and commonwealths cannot vote in U.S. presidential elections and do not elect voting representatives or senators to U.S. Congress. But, they do have their own presidential primaries.
The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act allows former residents of any of the 50 states living in a U.S. territory or commonwealth to vote absentee in presidential elections. The 2021 U.S. Commission of Civil Rights Report recommended extending the right to vote to all citizens living in U.S. territories and commonwealths.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can residents of U.S. territories vote?
