Puerto Rico: "Local officials expected more than 700,000, only 60,671 made it to the ballot box."

[w4rma]

"While local officials expected more than 700,000, only 60,671 made it to the ballot box."

"Though voter turnout in Puerto Rico is usually much higher than in the 50 U.S. states, Sunday's Democratic race had a dismal showing of just 3.45% of eligible voters."

[NWCorona]

1. Hmm

[anotherproletariat]

2. Sounds like Sanders was trying to suppress the vote in a region with a huge percentage of

Hillary supporters.

[w4rma]

6. A "Sanders for President" reddit page also called the reduction "about as bad as Arizona."

A "Sanders for President" reddit page also called the reduction "about as bad as Arizona." Dozens of Sanders supporters voiced their displeasure on the page over the cuts.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/281639-sanders-supporters-up-in-arms-over-puerto-rico-polling

[w4rma]

8. "In emails with the party, Sanders’ staff asked the party to maintain the 1,500 plus"

SAN DIEGO – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign issued the following statement Sunday on long lines at polling places in Puerto Rico’s Democratic Party presidential primary election:

“Some Puerto Rico Democratic officials are claiming that the Sanders campaign requested fewer polling places in today’s primary contest. That’s completely false. The opposite is true. In emails with the party, Sanders’ staff asked the party to maintain the 1,500 plus presidential primary locations promised by the Puerto Rico Democratic party in testimony before the DNC in April, when the party was asking to have its caucus changed to a primary. They cannot blame their shoddy running of the primary on our campaign. This is just one example of irregularities going on in Puerto Rico voting today. We are the campaign that has been fighting to increase voter participation.”

https://berniesanders.com/press-release/sanders-campaign-statement-puerto-rico-polling-places/

[Skink]

3. That's peculiar

[msongs]

4. suppressing the Hillary vote! she might've gotten ALL the delegates if 700K voted nt

[pandr32]

16. Looks like it may have been an attempt to keep HC from clinching early

Sanders had hoped to pull an upset in California and use it to bolster his argument at the convention that he had momentum at the end.

[NCTraveler]

5. Why were they expecting almost twice the turnout from 2008? Nt

[MADem]

9. Given the exodus from PR owing to the bad economy,

I'd say they shouldn't have expected that at all. Hundreds leave--for good--daily. It's really quite sad.

[pat_k]

15. A possible explanation:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=2150907

[MADem]

19. Could be--it's disorganized on a good day, but I think the

overwhelming issues included the fact that the government didn't have any money to put this primary on. They're going to default in July -- they owe billions.

It's really a case of dire straits.

[reformist2]

7. Yet another election ruined by shenanigans and fraud.

[think]

14. It's obscene for the Puerto Rican Dems to claim that Bernie requested less polling places.

What a crock of crap....

[reformist2]

18. They've taken to blaming Bernie for everything lately - they're not acting like they want our votes.

[WolverineDG]

21. They don't

they actually don't want our votes or our help.

[Contrary1]

10. Do they usually vote on Sundays in Puerto Rico?

There's no public transportation. I read someplace that in order to vote in both their local election and the primary, many had to go to two different polling places.

Given all the last minute changes, I'm surprised that even that many made it.

[w4rma]

11. The Democratic primary on June 1, 2008 was a Sunday and 388,477 people voted in it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico_Democratic_primary,_2008

[Garrett78]

13. And somehow 700,000 were expected this year?

In a country with an economy in the tank, thus the need to close polling places.

M'kay.

[w4rma]

17. Why are you deflecting? In this election, only ~15% of 2008's voters voted. (nt)

[MADem]

24. Never mind there's been an exodus going on for some time, since the Bush years.

This is from last October--and the numbers are NOT improving:
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/10/14/puerto-ricans-leave-in-record-numbers-for-mainland-u-s/

Last year, 84,000 people left Puerto Rico for the U.S. mainland, a 38% increase from 2010, according to the analysis of American Community Survey data. At the same time, the number of people moving to Puerto Rico from the U.S. mainland declined, resulting in Puerto Rico having a net population loss to the mainland of 64,000 in 2014, more than double the net loss of 26,000 in 2010.

The island’s declining population is not a new trend. Indeed, Puerto Rico has been experiencing a net population loss since at least 2005, a year before its recession began. However, the trend has been accelerating since 2010 as the U.S. mainland’s economy has rebounded from the Great Recession even as the island’s economy has remained mired in a recession. More recently, the Puerto Rican government has seen its tax revenues decline and, barred by U.S. law from filing for bankruptcy, it may run out of cash in November. The continued loss of people, particularly school-aged children and those in their prime working age, has only worsened the island’s economic situation and outlook.

It's not getting any better.

[MADem]

20. Who told you there's no public transportation on Sundays?

There are fewer buses, obviously, but the buses do run.

[w4rma]

22. 2008's primary was on a Sunday. Obviously, "Sunday" is not what caused the 85% drop in turnout. (nt)

[MADem]

25. People leaving for the mainland in droves might have something to do with it.

I am waiting for the family members I have living there to think about making a move. PR really needs help.

Article @ post 24....

[w4rma]

28. The Puerto Rico population is stable. Folks leave for the mainland but are replaced by births.

No, that is not responsible for an 85% reduction in voter turnout. Maybe you should watch the videos that do explain the 85% reduction in voter turnout, before making assumptions.

[MADem]

29. Not true--the PR population is in NET DECLINE. Did you not read the link I offered?

The country is also BROKE, and the government has no money to "get the word out," never mind pay for election officials. That is why they had to make do with not only volunteer poll watchers/vote count observers, but volunteer poll workers as well.

Here--READ this:

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/03/24/historic-population-losses-continue-across-puerto-rico/

Population growth was once the norm in Puerto Rico. The island’s population grew by 10% from 1980 to 1990, and by 8% from 1990 to 2000. But as the effects of a decade-long economic recession have mounted, Puerto Ricans – who are U.S. citizens at birth – have increasingly moved to the U.S. mainland, with many settling in Florida. In addition, fertility on the island has declined in recent years, adding to population loss.

Economic opportunity is one of the primary drivers for moving to the U.S. mainland, according to Census Bureau data. Among island-born Puerto Ricans who moved to the mainland, 40% said they left mainly for job-related reasons, while 39% cited family-related reasons.

The island’s sustained outmigration and low fertility rates have helped push its population below 1990 levels, when 3.52 million people lived on the island. For now, the island remains above its 1980 population of 3.2 million. However, the Census Bureau projects the population of Puerto Rico will fall to 2.98 million by 2050.

If the situation continues, they'll hit that target well before then. Doctors and dentists are leaving, teachers are leaving...the country is in dire straits.

[w4rma]

30. "For now, the island remains above its 1980 population of 3.2 million."

That is stable. And it certainly isn't an 85% decline (or even a decline).

[MADem]

31. Good grief, that was 36 YEARS ago!!!! smDh~!

They went through a period of growth, and that growth has been reversing itself at a RAPID clip.

NET DECLINE is not--by ANY measure--"stable."

Not sure what your point is? More people are leaving than are arriving, and the birth rate is in decline and is NOT -- repeat, NOT -- making up for the departure of people, hundreds every day.

Is that clear enough for you? It's simple math.

[w4rma]

32. "Rapid" is greatly exaggerating this slight curve. And it's not 85% "rapid".

https://www.google.com/search?q=Puerto+Rico+population

[MADem]

33. Ponce is a ghost town.

Go down there and have a look around. It is not "slight" at all--these are historic losses. It's a bloody diaspora.

Or just look at this graphic:

[w4rma]

34. How does a +18% change, then a - 9% change make a place a ghost town? (nt)

[pat_k]

12. On 3/8/2016 PR amended selection process from caucus to primary.

Previously their delegate selection was by closed caucus. They amended the plan on March 8, 2016. It looks like they did a horrendous job of getting the word out to Democratic voters.

https://www.scribd.com/doc/303981230/Puerto-Rico-s-Amended-Delegate-Selection-Plan

[AzDar]

23. K & R

[valerief]

26. Voter suppression has become the de facto strategy for oligarchs

to control elections.

[azmom]

27. The day of reckoning will come.

Sooner or later, but it will happen. People can only tolerate so much.