How is a US territory different than a state?

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How is a US territory different than a state?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

States have powers defined by the constitution (and their own state constitutions). They share sovereignty within their area of jurisdiction with the feds as members of the union (aka the US). As such, the citizens in each state can vote, through their state, for members of Congress (the House and Senate), and through the electoral college, for the president.

Territories are different on all these counts. Territories are lands the federal government has acquired, through various means, but which aren’t states. There will normally be a territorial governor and government, but those are set up by the feds, not independent under the constitution. Residents of territories are normally U.S. citizens, but there are no Congressional or Electoral College seats assigned for the territories.

These days there’s a slight exception in that territories like Guam hold votes at the same time as the election, but these are non-binding polls only; they don’t affect who actually becomes president.

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