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    Can US territories participate in presidential elections? What you should know
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    Can US territories participate in presidential elections? What you should know

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    It's Election Day in America and citizens across the country are heading to the polls to cast their votes. In a race with a seemingly razor-thin margin, a small number of votes can determine a Kamala Harris or Donald Trump administration.

    But not all voices have the same weight. What happens outside the 50 states for residents of the five US territories and Washington DC?

    After all, America is an umbrella term that is not only limited to the mainland, but also extends to the (somewhat) newly founded states of Hawaii and Alaska as well as the five territories.

    Washington DC, officially the District of Columbia, is the only non-state granted electoral votes. Here is a guide for the others.

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    Do US territories vote for president?

    The U.S. territories include American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

    While territories participate in presidential primaries and send delegates to both the Republican and Democratic national conventions to help select either party's nominee, they do not receive votes in the Electoral College. The Electoral College ultimately decides who occupies the White House, even if the majority of voters disagree.

    However, this does not mean that residents of the areas are automatically not allowed to vote. Aside from American Samoa, residents of all four other territories have U.S. citizenship and are therefore eligible to vote in general elections if they are permanent residents of one of the 50 states or Washington DC

    American Samoans are considered U.S. nationals and not U.S. citizens.

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    Does Puerto Rico vote for president?

    Nope. Those born in Puerto Rico have American citizenship, meaning Puerto Ricans living in one of Washington DC's 50 states can vote for president if they have formal residency.

    Over two-thirds of Puerto Ricans live in the 50 states and D.C. — about 5.8 million, the Pew Research Center reports, representing a large and important voting bloc.

    Does Guam vote for president?

    Like Puerto Rico, the island of Guam itself has no electoral votes.

    However, Guam residents who live in any of the 50 states or Washington DC may cast their vote in those states and participate in the electoral process.

    Are US territories represented in Congress?

    Each U.S. territory elects a member of the House of Representatives, but that member does not have voting rights. The territories have no representation in the Senate.

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