With the upcoming elections, celebrities and everyday individuals have been encouraging followers on social media to vote. The sentiment is echoed on signs, in advertisements, and throughout the media. The general elections are a busy time and it’s great that so many people are working to encourage others to participate in our democracy. However, not everyone who wants to vote gets this opportunity.

There are numerous methods that government officials use to disenfranchise certain communities to make it more difficult for them to vote. In addition to the government unjustly attempting to suppress the votes from certain communities, the government also actively excludes some population from the general election.

Source: AJ+/Youtube

People in the U.S. territories, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa, are eligible to serve in the military and have been drafted in the past; pay payroll, business, estate, and social security taxes; and contribute to Medicare and Medicaid. They fulfill all of the responsibilities of a citizen, contributing to every facet of your country’s infrastructure. However, they are not allowed to vote in its most important elections because they are considered territories, rather than states. The people living in these territories are affected by who becomes president and thus, should get to fully participate in the general election.

Sign this petition to demand that the people of Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa are given the voting rights they deserve!

To continue speaking up, sign these other petitions as well:

• Wait Until All Votes are Counted Before Calling Winner of Election
• Protect the Democratic Principles of a Free and Fair Election

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