Benito has cast his ballot — in style. On Tuesday, Bad Bunny was spotted wearing red slacks, a baby blue button-up, Jacques Marie Mage sunglasses, and black platforms to the gubernatorial election. An ode to the Puerto Rican flag? We'd like to think so.
In line, fans took photos and videos excited about the stylish musician serving his civic duty by voting. After, the 30-year-old spoke to TelemundoPR about the importance of voting, something he's been vocal about for years.
On Puerto Rico's current ballot are the New Progressive Party's Jenniffer González and the Independence Party's Juan Dalmau. Bad Bunny officially endorsed Dalmau. If he wins, he would be the first representative not belonging to either of the country's main governing parties.
In September, Teen Vogue and Student Reporting Labs spoke with Adelaida Siaca-Ortiz, a student in San Juan, about the election. “Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory; meaning that we are part of, but not a part of the United States of America,” Siaca-Ortiz said. "Since we are unable to vote for the president and can only do so in the primaries, us Puerto Ricans have little say in Federal U.S. politics. This lack of voting rights has perpetuated the colonial relationship between Puerto Rico and the U.S., where P.R. Contributes to society like any U.S. Citizen but does not receive the benefits people of the United States do."
Siaca-Ortiz added, "If we want to encourage Puerto Rican youth to vote in both the P.R. National elections and the U.S. presidential primaries, we have to do more. Recently, artist Bad Bunny, for example, began a campaign where he offered special discounts to fans for his concert tickets if they presented a copy of the electoral card. By thinking outside of the box and utilizing other resources, we can find more effective ways of mobilizing young people."
Being politically engaged is something Bad Bunny has always been known for. A week before he hit the polls, the Puerto Rican pop star responded to Tony Hinchcliffe's “floating island of garbage” racist remarks about Puerto Rico at a Trump rally in the video posted to his 45 million followers on Instagram. The visual love letter spoke about how rich in heritage, beauty, and culture the country is in hopes of inspiring his fans to get out and vote.
