SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico is holding an election that shall be historic, no matter which of the 2 main gubernatorial candidates wins.
If Jenniffer González of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party wins Tuesday’s election, it might be the primary time within the island’s historical past that the celebration has secured three consecutive phrases.
If Juan Dalmau, candidate of the Independence Party and the Citizens’ Victory Movement of Puerto Rico, wins, it might be the primary victory for a candidate who doesn’t symbolize both of the 2 major events which have dominated the island’s politics for many years.
Behind González and Dalmau within the polls is Jesús Manuel Ortiz of the People’s Democratic Party, who helps the island’s territorial standing. Also within the working is Javier Jiménez of Project Dignity, a conservative celebration created in 2019.
For many years, the New Progressive Party and the People’s Democratic Party obtained not less than 90 % of all votes, however that started to alter in 2016, with the brand new events attracting extra voters amid financial and political turmoil.
“It was a really large change,” stated Jorge Schmidt Nieto, a political analyst and college professor.
Delayed outcomes
Heavy rain hit the island early Tuesday morning, however voters had been undeterred, with a whole lot of individuals already queuing because the polls opened mid-morning.
Forecasters issued flash flood warnings for the capital San Juan and different areas as folks crowded below umbrellas and rooftops to solid their votes.
Results are usually not anticipated by late Tuesday, with analysts warning it might be a few days earlier than that occurs. During the 2020 election, officers took 4 days to launch preliminary outcomes.
Puerto Rico’s State Election Commission nonetheless counts greater than 220,000 early and mail-in votes obtained, with officers from varied political events noting the method is transferring slowly. Counting of those votes started greater than two weeks later than regular.
Jessika Padilla, the fee’s alternate chair, stated at a information convention that about 40% of the votes had been counted Monday.
“We is not going to take this validation course of frivolously,” he stated.
More than 5,000 inmates out of a complete of seven,400 in Puerto Rico additionally voted, though it’s unclear what number of of these votes had been counted.
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The fee and different officers proceed to obtain allegations of election crimes, together with from individuals who stated they obtained confirmations for early voting once they had not made such a request.
Meanwhile, energy turbines have been despatched to greater than two dozen polling locations to make sure electrical energy given the continual energy outages which have plagued Puerto Rico lately.
A query of standing and a symbolic vote
Voters shall be requested for the seventh time on Tuesday about Puerto Rico’s political standing. The non-binding referendum affords three choices: statehood, independence and independence with free affiliation, below which points akin to overseas affairs, American citizenship and using the US greenback can be negotiated.
Regardless of the end result, a change in standing requires approval from the United States Congress.
Additionally, Puerto Ricans will have the ability to assist Kamala Harris or Donald Trump in a symbolic vote on Tuesday if they need. Although Puerto Ricans are U.S. residents, these from the island can’t vote in U.S. presidential elections.
Nearly 2 million voters are eligible to take part in Tuesday’s election, though it stays to be seen what number of will accomplish that. Voter apathy has dominated current elections.
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