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Puerto Rico Political Status Question, 2012
A Puerto Rico Political Status Question, which was a non-binding referendum, was asked on November 6, 2012, in the commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Both parts of the question were approved. [1]
The referendum asked voters two questions:[1]
- Whether Puerto Ricans wanted to change its 114-year relationship with the United States
- Which of three options voters preferred: statehood, sovereign free association, or independence.
The vote marked the first time in history that a majority of Puerto Ricans favored statehood over maintaining the status quo.[2][3][1]
Election results
For the first part of the question, 54 percent of voters sought to change Puerto Rico's relationship with the U.S., while 46 percent voted in favor of the status quo. For the second question, 61 percent favored statehood, 33 percent preferred sovereign free association and only five percent voted for independence.[1]
Below are the official election results:[1]
| Change Relationship with U.S. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Yes | 922,374 | 54% | ||
| No | 786,749 | 46% | ||
| Statehood, Sovereign Free Association, or Independence | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes or no | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Yes
|
832,596 | 61% | ||
 No
|
450,421 | 33% | ||
| No
|
68,246 | 5% | ||
Aftermath
The two-part question was approved, showing that residents wanted to change the status of the country, with a majority seeking to become a state. Before the vote, then-President Barack Obama stated that he was "firmly committed to the principle that the question of political status is a matter of self-determination for the people of Puerto Rico" and would respect the will of the people in the event of a clear majority. However, after the election, the president and Congress did not alter Puerto Rico's status.[2][3][1]
Background
Originally, the issue was going to be split into two votes, but both questions were ultimately asked together in November 2012. The first part of the measure asked residents if they wanted to change the political status of the country from its position as a U.S. commonwealth; the second then asked residents what status they wanted for their country: U.S. statehood, sovereign free association, or independence. Though both parts of the measure were approved, the question was nonbinding. Previous votes on the status of the country all confirmed residents' desires to remain a U.S. commonwealth, but with each vote the margin of approval decreased.[4] The first referendum on the status of the country was held in 1967 when over 60% agreed to keep the status as it was.
Since 1952, the island has been self-governing, though it cannot conduct its own foreign policy. Furthermore, only Puerto Ricans living in the U.S. can vote in presidential elections. A White House task force issued a report in 2011 stating that the island should have a vote on the issue by 2012.[5]
Support
Governor Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset supported the question.[4][5]
Additional reading
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 New York Post, "Puerto Rico ousts governor, backs US statehood," November 7, 2012
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 US News, "Despite Referendum, Puerto Rico Statehood Unlikely Until at Least 2015," November 7, 2012
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 ABC News, "Will Puerto Rico Become The 51st State? Not So Fast," November 8, 2012
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Reuters, "Puerto Rico plans vote on territorial status," October 5, 2011
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid
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