The American island that has increased Trump's troubles in the election, what will be the impact?

Just 7 days before the presidential election in America, a controversy has become an obstacle in the way of Donald Trump's victory. Actually, Trump had organized a rally in Madison Square Garden in New York. In which an American comedian named Tony Hinchcliffe made a vulgar joke that people did not like. The center of this joke was Puerto Rico, a small island located near Cuba in the Caribbean Sea, which has been a part of America since 1898.

Hinchcliffe called this island a 'floating garbage island'. This statement caught so much attention that Puerto Rico's largest newspaper El Nuevo Día said it would support Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. Actress Jennifer Lopez, one of the world's biggest recording artists, superstar Bad Bunny, and singer Ricky Martin also expressed their displeasure. The leaders of the Democratic Party have also left no stone unturned to capitalize on this incident.

Trump, surrounded by criticism, has distanced himself from Hinchcliffe's statement. This damage control effort by Trump is enough to gauge how much power Puerto Rico has to influence the election. In this context, let us know about this small island of Puerto Rico, how important is its vote going to be in the election?

I do not vote in American elections…but

Puerto Rico is technically a US self-governing state. It has been a part of the US since 1898. Every person born on this Caribbean island is called an American citizen. They also have an American passport. However, people here do not vote in US presidential elections unless they are registered voters in one of the 50 states of America.

The culture here is a mixture of Spanish and African influences. Most people here speak Spanish. According to the 2020 census, 3.4 million residents live on the island of Puerto Rico. Every year millions of tourists also visit this island, but in the past few years, due to increasing debt, poverty, and unemployment, a large number of people also go to America.

This is why Puerto Rico is important

Millions of citizens of Puerto Rico live in one of the 50 states of America. They have the right to vote in elections. According to an estimate by the Pew Research Center, about 6 million Puerto Rican voters live in the US. It is being said that because of whatever happened at Trump's rally, these voters can prove to be decisive in the presidential election to be held on November 5. Especially in the battleground states which are also called swing states. In some of these states, people from Puerto Rico live in large numbers.

However, experts are saying that Puerto Ricans living in Pennsylvania, one of the biggest swing states in America, can change the outcome of the election. Currently, there are about 450,000 Puerto Rican voters in Pennsylvania, which is about 3.7 percent of the total population of this state. Therefore, it is quite possible that some Puerto Ricans who had decided to vote for Trump will vote for Harris out of anger or stay away from voting.

According to a recent survey, the state of Pennsylvania is probably going to decide who will reach the President's chair, Kamala Harris or Donald Trump. The number of electoral votes here is 19, which is important for any candidate to cross the magical figure of 270.

The elections here are so close that someone can win by just a few thousand votes. This has happened twice. In the last elections, Joe Biden won by just 82 thousand votes in Pennsylvania, while Trump won here in 2016 but by just 44 thousand votes.

Trump may have to bear the brunt of Puerto Ricans' anger not just in Pennsylvania but also in Georgia. Their population in Georgia is 1 lakh 31 thousand, more than 1 percent of the state's total population. Another swing state, North Carolina, also has a significant population of Puerto Ricans.

Where else is the impact besides swing states?

The influence of Puerto Ricans is not limited to battleground states. Rather, they can have an equal impact on elections in other states. For example, Florida, where there are about 11 lakh Puerto Rican voters, that is, 5.6 percent of the state's total population.

Connecticut is home to 2 lakh 99 thousand Puerto Ricans, that is, 8.3 percent of the total population. Nearly 1 million people from Puerto Rico live in New York. These people also have objections to Hinchcliffe's statement and their displeasure may prove costly for Trump here.

Why doesn't Puerto Rico get statehood?

There has been a debate going on for years about not granting Puerto Rico statehood. Spain ceded it to the US in 1898 after the Spanish-American War. It has been part of the US since then. The US Parliament, called Congress, does not want to grant Puerto Rico statehood because of the economic costs.

Along with this, there is also a concern that doing so will also change the balance of power in Washington. That means if it becomes a state, then two senators will also have to be added to the Senate, the upper house of Parliament. Currently, there are 50 states in the US, so two senators are elected from each state, whose number is currently 100. In 2020 itself, a poll was conducted in Puerto Rico in which more than half of the participating voters were of the opinion that it should be given the status of a state.