You can be born in America, be a U.S. citizen, and still not be able to vote for president.
Welcome to U.S. territories.
We hear all the time that the United States has 50 states. And it does. But that’s not the whole picture.
The U.S. also has five major permanently inhabited territories:
- Puerto Rico
- Guam
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- American Samoa
- Northern Mariana Islands
These places are part of the United States, but they are not states. And that distinction changes how their governments work and how their residents are represented in Washington.
So what exactly is a territory?
The Constitution gives Congress broad authority over U.S. territories through Article IV’s Territory Clause.
That means the relationship is different from the one between Washington and the 50 states.
At the same time, the territories have their own local governments. They have governors, legislatures and court systems, and they handle many of the everyday responsibilities we normally associate with state and local government.
So there is local control but Congress still holds broad authority over the territories.
Are people who live there U.S. citizens?
In most cases, yes.
People born in Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands generally receive U.S. citizenship at birth under federal law.
American Samoa is the big exception. People born there are generally U.S. nationals rather than U.S. citizens at birth.
A U.S. national still has a legal connection to the United States and can hold a U.S. passport, but nationality and citizenship are not exactly the same thing.
Can residents vote for president?
Here’s one of the biggest differences.
Residents of U.S. territories do not vote for president in the general election while residing in the territories.
The territories also do not have voting representation in Congress equivalent to the states. Each inhabited territory has a delegate or resident commissioner in the U.S. House who can participate in congressional work, including committees, but cannot vote on final passage on the House floor.
So someone can be an American citizen, live on American soil and still have a very different relationship with the federal government depending on whether they live in a state or a territory.
So are U.S. territories part of America?
Yes.
They are under U.S. sovereignty, their residents live under U.S. and local laws, and they have their own governments.
But they do not have the same constitutional and political status as states.
And that’s the key to understanding U.S. territories:
They’re part of America. They’re just not states.
Sources
- U.S. Constitution — Article IV, Section 3
- Congressional Research Service — U.S. Territories
- U.S. Department of the Interior — American Samoa
- USA.gov — Visiting U.S. Territories