Puerto Rico’s voter turnout for primaries might dip—analyst
Calamities affected voters’ opinions
Voter turnout of nearly 70 percent in Puerto Rico may decline as fatigue and mass disillusionment continue to fuel the anger of Puerto Ricans over its government’s response to recent calamities.
A 4.8 magnitude earthquake just struck the U.S. territory in the Caribbean yesterday, which is still reeling from the a string of recent strong earthquakes that began in late December and the destruction of hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.
Puerto Rico is also facing its 13th year of a recession, a bankruptcy, and power outages. All of these on top of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the World Health Organisation, Puerto Rico has 20,686 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 265 death since its first case on March 14.
The primaries come at a critical time. “We’re at a crossroads. … The people are suffering,” political analyst Domingo Emanuelli said in an interview with the Associated Press.
Primary elections of “firsts”
For the first time in its 82-year history, the main opposition Popular Democratic Party that staunchly supports Puerto Rico’s current political status as a U.S. territory is holding a primary.
Three candidates are running for a gubernatorial nomination: Puerto Rico Sen. Eduardo Bhatia; San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, who engaged in public spats with U.S. President Donald Trump following the devastation of Hurricane Maria; and Isabela Mayor Carlos Delgado.
A tight governor’s race in the Popular Democratic Party is expected according to Emanuelli. Puerto Rico’s troubles highlight what many people see as a “disparity in Washington’s treatment” of the Caribbean island.
Meanwhile, pro-statehood New Progressive Party’s Gov. Wanda Vázquez is seeking the party’s nomination in a Sunday contest with seasoned politician Pedro Pierluisi, who represented Puerto Rico in Congress from 2009 to 2017.
Two candidates both served as replacement governors in the wake of a Puerto Rican political crisis.
Emanuelli expects voters choosing between Pierluisi and Vázquez will pick the candidate they think has the best chance of securing statehood for Puerto Rico.