Prepare for the 2024 Elections with these online tools
With less than a month to go before Election Day, there is still time get educated about the candidates, their proposals, their legislative record and how to cast a vote correctly
Editorial Note: This story was made possible thanks to a grant from María Fund, in collaboration with Mentes Puertorriqueñas en Acción and Escuela de Liderazgo. 9 Millones, as well as these two organizations, are part of the #PrendeTuVoto coalition.
After the voting registration period ended for Puerto Rico's upcoming general elections —next Tuesday, November 5—, the number of newly registered voters in the electoral registry amounted to 91,443, according to data shared by the State Elections Commission.
In addition to these 91,000 registrations, there is an unknown number of additional registrations contained in the 90,000 pending transactions within the Electronic Voters' Registry (e-RE).
More than ever, the youth vote is important in these elections. If you already have your voter ID and want to make your vote count, only one question remains: do you know how to vote correctly and who will receive your vote?
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Read on to learn about tools to help you decide how you will vote and how to avoid damaging the ballot, covering topics such as the following:
- A list of the candidates that will appear on your ballot on November 5, according to your municipality and district
- A compilation of the most pressing problems according to the youth, including solutions identified to address them
- Data on the voting record of current legislators, in order to know which projects were approved and which were not approved during this four-year term
- Online ballots where you can practice your vote, with details on whether your vote is valid or if you “damaged” the ballot
Step 1: Identify who can receive your vote
Each person Puerto Rico is entitled to cast the following number of votes:
State ballot
- (1) vote for governor, (1) for resident commissioner
Legislative ballot
- (1) vote for district representative, (1) at-large representative, (1) at-large senator
- (2) votes for district senators
Municipal ballot
- (1) vote for the office of mayor
- (X) for municipal legislators. You must read your municipality’s ballot to find out how many legislators you are allowed to vote for.
If you want to know specifically who will be on your ballot on Election Day, you can check out the Quién Me Representa.
On this website, all you have to do is enter your zip code or use your current location to see the candidates you can vote for. The platform allows you to see the candidates divided by the positions they are running for, and it even has individual profiles for each candidate.
These profiles contain valuable information, including their ballot photos, full names, parties, social media, contact information, and even their legislative history, in the case of incumbent candidates.
Another very useful tool is Tu Papeleta, a website that shows you a list of all the candidates that will be on your ballot and the location of your specific electoral college. All you have to do is enter your voter ID number, and the portal displays the information.
Step 2: Identify which issues concern you the most
Before casting your vote, it is important to ask yourself the following question: Which issues are the most important right now?
While there are a dozen agendas and studies on the most pressing problems on the island—both made by parties and organizations—the Youth Agenda of Mentes Puertorriqueñas en Acción was designed specifically with young people in mind.
As part of the organization’s #EsMiTurno educational campaign, the agenda summarizes problems and solutions identified by youth, along with input from experts on the topics covered in the agenda, which are as follows:
- Climate Action
- Quality of Life
- Workplace Scenario
- Electoral Process
- UPR System
Likewise, you should take into account the needs of your community, municipality and region. This way, you can refine your research on the candidates and understand if they will be or have been able to respond to citizens’ needs.
Step 3: Explore the candidates' backgrounds and proposals
The next question you can ask yourself is: Who wants to address the issues that concern me most? To answer that question, it is worth reviewing the current proposals of the candidates for governor, mayors’ offices and both legislative chambers.
In the case of incumbent candidates in the House and Senate—candidates who currently hold public office—you should also review their legislative record: what measures they have introduced, and which ones they voted for or against.
Get to know the proposals of the parties
To learn about the proposals of the current parties—which should be put into action in the bills filed by the legislators who are finally elected—, you can check out these links:
- New Progressive Party: Áreas de Enfoque - #AcciónPR
- Popular Democratic Party: Plan de Futuro - Pan, Tierra, Libertad
- Puerto Rican Independence Party: Patria Nueva
- Citizens’ Victory Movement: Programa de Gobierno 2024
- Dignity Project: Puerto Rico - Tierra de Oportunidades
If you want to read a summary of some of the most pressing issues on the island and what is being proposed by each party to address them, read our guide, written in collaboration with Política Accesible.
What is really at stake in the Legislature in the 2024 Elections?
Learn about some of the most pressing issues, what the parties have proposed to address them, and the drafted bills that may be revived for the upcoming legislative sessions.
Research how incumbent legislators voted
For incumbents, there is an easier way to find out how they would act if elected: by reviewing their legislative record. To do so, you can select the candidate profiles available in Quién Me Representa.
In each profile, scroll to the bottom and click on the “View incumbent's legislative record” button. Here, you will be directed to a page containing the voting record on bills discussed during the past four-year term, and also, whether those bills were authored by them or if they weren’t.
If you want to find out how a legislator voted on a particular issue, the portal allows you to divide them by issue and whether they voted for, against or abstained during the voting, or if they were absent for the session.
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If you want to review the legislative history of officials who aspire to positions outside the Senate and House, but who were legislators during the past term, you can check out this link. All you have to do is enter your zip code, and the legislators of your region will appear, along with their legislative records.
On the other hand, if you want a more digested summary of the voting record of legislators and its impact on human rights, you should explore the Mira Cómo Votan observatory, made by the feminist organization Taller Salud.
This public management observatory allows people to monitor the approval of public policies. To make analysis more simple, the observatory divides the bills into nine themes identified by Taller Salud as pillars of well-being, health and dignified life in the archipelago. These are the topics it compiles:
- Access to Health
- Racial Equality
- Gender Equality
- Environmental Justice
- Youth Justice
- Reproductive Justice
- Food Security
- Community Safety
- Decent Housing
Each listed bill contains an evaluation on a scale ranging from Very Positive to Very Negative, determining whether the legislation expands citizens' rights and increases their quality of life, or if it is a step backwards in the protection of these rights.
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In addition, each entry includes a summary of the bill, its impact and how each member of the Senate and House voted during the legislative session or within the legislative committee, which decides whether or not a bill will go to the floor for voting.
Step 4: Practice your vote so you avoid damaging the ballot.
Many voters worry about damaging their ballots, but fortunately, there are online tools to practice and ensure that your vote is valid.
Para Votar is a website that allows you to practice your vote and contains the ballots for every municipality on the archipelago. All you have to do is identify your municipality, choose the ballot you want to practice on, and start marking your choices.
If you make a mistake on the ballot, the platform will notify you of the mistake, so that you can rectify it. At the end, the ballot shows you your results, and explains what kind of vote you cast, and who you voted for. You can even download the ballot in PDF format to reference on November 5.
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In addition, the platform includes a section that explains how to vote correctly, whether it is a mixed or party vote, by candidacy or by write-in.
Practica Tu Voto works in a very similar way. You only have to select your municipality and precinct, and then fill out the ballots virtually. At the end, you can click on “Your Votes”, to see the candidates you voted for, and if the votes are valid, according to the amount of vots allowed.
Keep the spark burning
With 20 days to go until the election, follow 9 Million's coverage to learn how to defend your right to vote and be prepared for the election next Tuesday, November 5.
