Voting Rights of US Territories

[Padfoot]

Would you support a Constitutional amendment granting US territories equal treatment as states during the apportionment of House seats?  Would you also support granting them the electoral votes that go along with those House seats?

This is something I've been thinking about a lot given the uproar over DC representation.  Most of the people living in the territories are considered full US citizens in every respect except for the fact that they are granted little to no say in the dealings of our federal government.  Furthermore, the small population of most of our territories makes admitting them as states highly unlikely which means they will probably never get equal representation or voting rights.  I was thinking about hypothetical ways in which to solve this problem when I thought up this idea.  Granting them equal treatment in the House and perhaps giving them electoral votes would allow them to participate in federal government but withholding senate representation would maintain their non-state status.  With the exception of Puerto Rico this proposition would probably have a very minimal affect on House votes and presidential elections.

[Speed of Sound]

They are a part of the United States, and thus, should be granted the rights of Americans.

[Ebowed]

Yes/Yes

[MODU]

No/No.  They are territories, not states.  Representation on the federal level is reserved for the states, and there is no reason to change that.  If people feel they they are being mistreated due to the lack of representation (which they aren't), they are free to move.

[Wakie]

I'd be in favor of moving towards statehood for any territory which has been a territory for an excess of 100 years.

[KEmperor]

No/No.  States do not equal territories.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

ABSOLUTELY NOT to both - they don't pay taxes - they shouldn't vote.  They can become states - however, since D.C.ians pay taxes, they should change the constitution to allow them to have both.

[Padfoot]

ABSOLUTELY NOT to both - they don't pay taxes - they shouldn't vote.  They can become states - however, since D.C.ians pay taxes, they should change the constitution to allow them to have both.

That's not entirely true, they pay some but not all of the same federal taxes state residents do.   I also don't think it is likely that any of our territories aside from Puerto Rico have a legitimate shot at statehood.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

ABSOLUTELY NOT to both - they don't pay taxes - they shouldn't vote.  They can become states - however, since D.C.ians pay taxes, they should change the constitution to allow them to have both.

That's not entirely true, they pay some but not all of the same federal taxes state residents do.   I also don't think it is likely that any of our territories aside from Puerto Rico have a legitimate shot at statehood.

That's they're prob - if they start paying all the taxes and giving all the dues, they can get all the benefits then and ONLY then.

[True Democrat]

No/No

I'd rather they just become states instead.  One state for the Carribbean and one state for the South Pacific (the population of the South Pacific state wouldn't actually be that small).  However, if statehood could not be achieved, then I'd vote Yes/Yes.

[Dr. Cynic]

I think for a country that prides itself on its supposed freedom and justice for all, should grant the territories statehood or let them go independant.

If we're going to have dominion over them, why don't they deserve a vote just like you or I?... And MODU, it's not always so easy to pack up and move.

[Verily]

As long as they aren't taxed (and, aside from DC, none of them are), they shouldn't have representation. However, I would perfectly fine with the creation of a state of "Pacifica" and a state of Puerto Rico, the former containing Guam, the Marianas and American Samoa and the latter containing Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

Pacifica would get 1 Representative (with a population of about 310,000, not that much less than Wyoming), and Puerto Rico would get 6.

[MODU]

And MODU, it's not always so easy to pack up and move.

I know that.  However, the few who clamor the most for these "rights" aren't the poorer members of society, so they do have the resources to move if it really is such a major issue to them.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

I don't think we should have a territory that is not at some point prepared - or at least given the opportunity - to become or join a state.   Puerto Rico should become a fully fledged member of our Union as soon as is politically possible.   The populations of Guam, Northern Marianas, and American Samoa add up to 316,000 people - about 200,000 less than Wyoming.

[bgwah]

I don't think we should have a territory that is not at some point prepared - or at least given the opportunity - to become or join a state.   Puerto Rico should become a fully fledged member of our Union as soon as is politically possible.   The populations of Guam, Northern Marianas, and American Samoa add up to 316,000 people - about 200,000 less than Wyoming.

I agree. I wonder if the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Palau, and that other nation would be interesting in joining this Pacific state. They're still relatively dependent on the U.S. so I think they should at least be part of the country.