The importance of the Puerto Rican vote in the November 2024 elections in the U.S.
According to U.S. Census data the number of Puerto Ricans living in the continental United States has grown by hundreds of thousands since 2017. Experts say that Puerto Ricans are in a position to exert increasing political influence in all states of the nation. That's why some political scientists warn that it would be a mistake to ignore this constituency.
To date, approximately 6 million people of Puerto Rican origin live in the country's 50 states (in addition to the 3.5 million who live on the island). It is the second largest group of Hispanics/Latinos living in the United States, representing approximately 9% of the U.S. Hispanic/Latino population.
Data show that the population of people of Puerto Rican origin in the United States has grown by 71% between 2000 and 2021.
In comparison, the Mexican population in the U.S. in 2021 reached 37.2 million, or 60% of the Hispanic/Latino population in this country.
The weight of the Boricua vote is particularly important since they are U.S. citizens by birth and eligible to vote, which is not the case for other Hispanic/Latino groups living in the United States.
Historically, Puerto Rican voters living in the continental United States have always supported the Democratic Party, so much so that approximately 68% of Puerto Ricans living in the state of Florida supported the election of President Joe Biden during the 2020 election.
It is important to keep in mind that the U.S. Electoral System is conditioned by the Electoral College. After Hurricane Maria in 2017, there was a massive exodus of Puerto Ricans to key states such as Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Arizona, etc., where elections are often decided by just a few thousand votes. The new influx of Puerto Rican voters can make a difference in those states. In Florida, Puerto Ricans are already the second largest Hispanic/Latino group after those of Cuban descent.
Campaign managers should pay close attention to this data and reach out to the Hispanic/Latino electorate with clear messages in Spanish.
