Why can Puerto Ricans help elect the Dem. candidate, but can't vote in the GE?

[marcellobarrios]

Puertoricans should be allowed to vote in the General Election.

Obama looks like our future nominee, but there is still a small possibility that it will all come down to Puerto Rico in June (or is it May?).

Why aren't Puertoricans allowed to vote in or general elections?

[HereSince1628]

1. Found this just by googling...

In order for citizens residing in territories outside of the United States and Washington D.C. to have full voting rights, they would need to be living in a "State."

On March 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Jones Act which granted Puerto Ricans U.S. Statutory citizenship. This means that they were granted citizenship by an act of Congress, not by the Constitution and citizenship is therefore not guaranteed by it. In the case of Balzac v. Porto Rico (258 U.S. 308) the U.S. Supreme Court declared that Puerto Rico was a territory rather than a part of the Union. The decision stated that the U.S. Constitution did not apply in Puerto Rico. Incorporated territories such as Puerto Rico are governed by their own lower level court systems. In 1940 the United States Congress granted U.S. Citizenship to Puerto Rican Natives only, but this still does not constitute them living in a State.

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I won't claim to speak to its accuracy

[stahbrett]

2. Hasn't Puerto Rico held one or more referendums to become a state?

Apologies if this is inaccurate, but I seem to recall the voters in Puerto Rico voting against becoming a state at least once, maybe more. If so, then it would seem that they've voluntarily chosen, in effect, to not be allowed to vote in the general election.