America is more than 50 states and the District of Columbia. About 4.3 million people live in US territories with no right to vote in federal elections: Puerto Rico (3.9m), Virgin Islands (110K), American Samoa (60K), Guam (160K), Northern Marianas (70K). Estimates of US population abroad vary. According to my best estimates from official government sources, about 600,000 Americans living abroad are counted in the US census, being employees of the US government, military, or their dependents. Another 3.5m or so Americans live abroad and are not counted by the census, although they are eligible to vote in most states according to absentee ballot rules.
Why do I blog about this? Because in both the Democratic and Republican parties, most of these populations are permitted to send full voting delegates to the national conventions. Democrats include the "Democrats abroad." Republicans don't, but have delgates for the Northen Marianas (which, for some reason, the Democrats don't). Greenpapers.org has an excellent exposition of these issues. For the Democrats, the total of delegates from US territories and abroad is... wait for it... 100. That is not small beer in this kind of race. In addition to the hanky-panky of Michigan (where Obama was not on the ballot) and Florida (where nobody was allowed to campaign), and 700 ex officio superdelegates, there are also 100 other delegates who will show up to vote at the Democratic convention (Republican # is 59).
It is also worth thinking about these US citizens. We often speak of the district of columbia with about 600,000 citizens and their democratic deficit, but they at least get electoral votes. As the population of Puerto Rico approaches 4 million (by next census almost certainly) I wonder - is it time to tell the Puerto Ricans to fish or cut bait when it comes to statehood or independence?
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Our Union - One Hundred Delegates
Posted by The Law Talking Guy at 9:31 AM
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4 comments:
I didn't realize this, not had I considered delegates for Americans abroad and the territories.
I would point out that our service men and women often have a hard time getting their votes to count because they have to vote absentee by default. And many don't get their ballots because they move around so much- they often fail to re-register. I think that they should have a system apart just for that reason- especially in war time.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20080205/cm_thenation/45280615
Yes, it's true, in the first Democrats Abroad caucus in Indonesia, the hometown favorite won.
American Samoa caucuses were also held late last night. There were 285 participants. Not 285 delegates - 285 total people. Clinton won, 163-122. American Samoa cannot vote for president or congress. According to greenpapers.co, their delegates get half a vote on the floor (it would make more sense to give them half as many delegates and avoid 3/5 comparisons, but hand it to the DNC to mess things up). Clinton gets 8 delegates, Obama gets 3. One superdelegate remains unpledged. These are only 1/2 votes, so Clinotn gets 4 delegates, Obama gets, er, 1.5.
So it's not 100 delegates. It's 50.
Actually, it IS 100 delegates. I checked again. It's actually 100 VOTES, but there are more delegates than votes from the territories for a bizarre reason that they want to give superdelegates (party poobahs) the ability to come to the convention. So yes, 100 votes out of 2125 needed.
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