- Puerto Ricans will vote on election day to see if the US territory should move to become a state or be granted independence. If voters decide on statehood, the territory would work to join the union and fully become incorporated into the United States.
- If Puerto Rican voters approve of the referendum, a commission will be created to negotiate statehood terms with US Congress and the president.
- Whether Puerto Rico votes for statehood or not, there is nothing to compel or force the US Congress to act on Puerto Rico’s political status as it is a territory, not a state.
- Insider will have live results on the referendum as soon as they come in.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Polls in Puerto Rico just closed at 5 p.m. local time and 4 p.m. ET.
As millions across the United States vote in the presidential election, Puerto Ricans will be answering a different question on Election Day: Do you want to become a state?
A referendum for statehood was placed onto the ballot in January 2020 as part of Senate Bill 1467 in the Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly. If approved, the governor of Puerto Rico will appoint a seven-person commission to represent the island in statehood negotiations. Once the governor accepts the commission’s plan, the plan will be presented to the US Congress and the president.
Full statehood for Puerto Rico would allow its residents constitutional rights which Puerto Ricans currently do not have: the ability to vote in presidential and congressional elections.
According to SB1467, if Puerto Rican voters vote against statehood, then a similar commission will be created to negotiate Puerto Rican independence or free association.
A freely associated state is an independent nation that signs a “Compact of Free Association,” an agreement with the United States concerning military, economic, and diplomatic relations. There are currently three freely associated states: the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia.
An example of an independent country breaking from the United States are the Philippines, which were granted full independence from the US in 1946.
Whether Puerto Rico votes for statehood or not, there is nothing to compel or force the US Congress to act on Puerto Rico’s political status as it is a territory, not a state. According to the “territorial clause” of the US Constitution, “Congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to the United States.”
The text of the referendum for Puerto Rico statehood reads as follows in Spanish:
“¿Debe Puerto 3 Rico ser admitido inmediatamente dentro de la Unión como un Estado?”
“Sí” o “No”
Translated, the question reads:
“Should Puerto Rico be immediately admitted into the Union as a state?”
“Yes” or “No”
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