Voting Rights

Voting is a fundamental right and the foundation of a functioning democracy. In Puerto Rico, barriers to full political participation continue to limit how people engage in the democratic process.
The ACLU of Puerto Rico works to defend voting rights by promoting fair elections, opposing voter suppression, and advocating for inclusive and accessible democratic systems. We believe every eligible voter deserves a meaningful voice.

Derechos al Voto

What you need to know

10 Years

A decade after Congress imposed PROMESA in 2016, Puerto Rico remains under the antidemocratic control of an unelected Fiscal Oversight Board.

39.45%

Puerto Rico’s governor was elected in 2024 with 39.45% of the vote — less than an absolute majority — underscoring how the current electoral system can produce a winning candidate without majority support.

0

No federal law currently provides a binding self-determination process with clearly defined, congressionally enforceable options for Puerto Rico’s political future.

The ACLU of Puerto Rico is advocating for fair elections, transparent governance, and equal representation for every voter. You can help by learning about your voting rights, supporting reforms that expand access to the ballot, and amplifying the demand for full democratic participation.

Key Issues

The ACLU of Puerto Rico is advocating for fair elections, transparent governance, and equal representation for every voter. You can help by learning about your voting rights, supporting reforms that expand access to the ballot, and amplifying the demand for full democratic participation.

Colonial governance: Puerto Rico remains under a colonial relationship with the United States, without a binding self-determination process that offers clearly defined and congressionally enforceable options for its political future.

Antidemocratic control: A decade after PROMESA, Puerto Rico remains subject to the power of an unelected Fiscal Oversight Board imposed by Congress, with sweeping authority over the island’s fiscal and governmental affairs.

Electoral transparency and access: Democratic participation depends on fair election administration, accessible information, and systems that do not create unnecessary barriers to registration or voting. Reporting during the 2024 cycle documented problems with Puerto Rico’s digital voter-registration platform, including rejected applications and obstacles to timely registration.

Youth participation: Young people remain underrepresented in electoral participation and civic leadership. Reporting ahead of the 2024 elections found that only about 40,000 of roughly 150,000 newly eligible young voters had registered by late summer, underscoring persistent barriers to youth engagement.

ACLU of Puerto Rico
Court Case
Apr 22, 2024

Belia Ocasio v. CEE

Belia Arlene Ocasio and Efraín Colón Damiani v. Comisión Estatal de Elecciones (CEE), et als. (Civil Action No. 3:20-cv-01432-PAD) was a lawsuit filed by the ACLU and a New York law firm to allow Puerto Rico's senior citizens, aged 60 and over, to vote by mail or early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The plaintiffs argued that the CEE's policies forced them to choose between their right to vote and their health, given the pandemic's risks. The complaint alleged that the CEE's failure to allow early or absentee voting for seniors was an undue burden on the right to vote, in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. A District Court ordered the CEE to make arrangements to allow vote by mail for people 65 years old or older. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico filed a motion for reconsideration, and the case is pending before the Court of Appeals (1st Cir.).
Court Case
Mar 02, 2026

Belia Ocasio v. CEE

Belia Arlene Ocasio y Efraín Colón Damiani v. Comisión Estatal de Elecciones (CEE), et als. (Civil Action No. 3:20-cv-01432-PAD) fue una demanda presentada por la ACLU y un bufete de abogados de Nueva York para permitir a los ciudadanos mayores de 60 años de Puerto Rico votar por correo o anticipadamente debido a la pandemia de COVID-19. Los demandantes argumentaron que las políticas de la CEE los obligaban a elegir entre su derecho a votar y su salud, dado el riesgo de la pandemia. La demanda alegaba que la falta de la CEE para permitir el voto anticipado o por correo para los ancianos era una carga indebida para el derecho a votar, en violación de las Enmiendas Primera y Decimocuarta de la Constitución de los EE. UU. Un Tribunal de Distrito ordenó a la CEE que permitiera el voto por correo a las personas de 65 años o más. El Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico presentó una moción de reconsideración y el caso está pendiente ante el Tribunal de Apelaciones del Primer Circuito.