In the US midterm elections on November 3, Puerto Ricans are the largest Latino group in 59 congressional districts across five states, including Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio, according to an analysis by the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo. These districts have a total of 2,386,911 Puerto Rican residents, including those who are not yet eligible to vote.
However, experts warn that the potential political power of Puerto Ricans in the US could be diluted if low voter turnout in previous elections is repeated. In Ohio, where 145,627 Puerto Ricans live, making them the second-largest Latino group after Mexicans, some residents like Junior, who moved to Cleveland from Philadelphia, are undecided about voting.
The low voter turnout among Latinos is attributed to differences in electoral culture between Puerto Rico and the US, including the frequency of elections and the complexity of the electoral process. Efforts have been made to increase voter participation, including the use of bilingual ballots and the hiring of bilingual staff by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, as part of an agreement with the US Department of Justice to protect the voting rights of Spanish-speaking Puerto Ricans.