Voters in Puerto Rico approved a non-binding referendum that asked: “Should Puerto Rico be immediately admitted into the Union as a state?” The “Yes” side received 623,053 or 52.3% as of votes recorded on November 9.
While the ballot measure itself cannot compel the U.S. Congress to act on the issue of Puerto Rico’s political status, the ballot measure contained a provision authorizing the governor to appoint a seven-member commission to represent Puerto Rico in matters and negotiations related to achieving statehood. The commission will meet to develop a transition plan, which the governor can approve or reject, and present the plan to Congress and the President.
This year’s ballot measure is the sixth in Puerto Rico’s history on the territory’s political status, and it was the first one to give voters a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ option on a single potential status.
