The Daily 202: Puerto Ricans who fled to Florida after Hurricane Maria are not registering to vote

[DonViejo]

By James Hohmann
July 27 at 9:58 AM

THE BIG IDEA: Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico last September and prompted a mass exodus of more than 100,000 residents to the mainland United States. The Category 4 storm destroyed much of the island’s infrastructure, which was already decaying and crumbling amid a financial crisis and bankrupt territorial government. The exact number is still not known, but tens of thousands of people permanently resettled in Florida.

Frustration with Donald Trump’s lackadaisical and even antagonistic response — he vilified the mayor of San Juan and threatened to cut off funding for Puerto Rico at one point — prompted even some Republicans to warn that the episode could doom his presidency. After all, George W. Bush’s numbers never really recovered after Hurricane Katrina.

Because they’re already U.S. citizens, Puerto Ricans are eligible to vote as soon as they move to the mainland. The thinking last fall was that they’d be so angry at Trump that they’d be chomping at the bit to vote against Republicans in the midterms. Operatives from both parties said that this could prove decisive in a perennial battleground like Florida where elections are always close.

Once again, the conventional wisdom turns out to have been wrong. Trump appears to be defying the old rules of politics. In this case, it’s because most of the Puerto Ricans who have come to Florida are not registering to vote or otherwise getting involved in politics. At least for now.

more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2018/07/27/daily-202-puerto-ricans-who-fled-to-florida-after-hurricane-maria-are-not-registering-to-vote/5b5a82a61b326b0207955dcb/

[Roland99]

1. I understand politics may not be their main concern

But it makes a huge difference in how their lives are affected.

[bunny planet]

2. Is there any Democratic party GOTV

outreach to these people to get them registered?

[flor-de-jasmim]

4. Lin-Manuel Miranda & the Hispanic Federation

Link to tweet

[cannabis_flower]

3. Well..

They do have up to 29 days before the election. Most people aren't even thinking about the election yet and if it's less than a year since you just just had to flee your home you might have other things on your mind.

[brush]

5. Getting a stable living space, some kind of income and other necessities...

probably have taken priorities over registering to vote.

Quite understandable.

I hope the party puts on a full court press now though to locate and sign them up.