Puerto Rico Primary Facts and Figures

The Puerto Rico Democratic primary is June 1, 2008; 55 delegates will be allocated based on the results. The Republican primary was held Feb. 24, 2008.

Presidential Primary Winners

Democrats

• 1988: Jesse Jackson
• 1992: Bill Clinton
• 1996: The Democratic primary scheduled for March 10, 1996, was not held as Bill Clinton was the only candidate who qualified for the ballot.
• 2000: In Puerto Rico, the Democratic Party opted to hold a caucus instead of a primary election but subsequently canceled the caucus. The nominees were known well before the scheduled date.
• 2004: Democrats planned to hold a caucus, but it was canceled. The nominees were known well before the scheduled date.

Republicans

• 1988: George H.W. Bush
• 1992: George H.W. Bush
• 1996: Bob Dole
• 2000: George W. Bush
• 2004: Republicans planned to hold a caucus, but it was canceled. The nominees were known well before the scheduled date.

3 Things You Didn't Know About Puerto Rico Primaries

1. Puerto Rico's Democrats were originally scheduled to caucus on June 1; only after the national committee approved the plan, it was discovered that an official document listed June 7, as a result of a typo, instead of the intended date, June 1.

2. The decision to hold a primary instead of a caucus was made in early March 2008 in an attempt to increase participation and to encourage the candidates to campaign in Puerto Rico. With a voter turnout rate of 81.4% in Puerto Rico's 2004 general election for governor among other islandwide positions, Puerto Rico has among the highest voter participation records in the world.

3. The U.S. Electoral College system does not allow residents of territories, including Puerto Rico, a self-governing commonwealth, to vote for president. While Puerto Rico has no Electoral College votes, political parties can authorize primaries to allow delegate representation at the parties' conventions.

Sources:
FEC
The Green Papers
Elections in Puerto RicoPuerto Rico Government
U.S. Electoral College

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