Puerto Rico Status referendum 2017 Exit Opinion Poll Results
US June 11, 2017,
Puerto Rico Status referendum 2017 Exit Opinion Poll Results
Puerto Rico Status referendum Dates 2017
National Status referendum Date: 11 June 2017
A referendum on the political status of Puerto Rico will be held in Puerto Rico on June 11, 2017. Previous referendums have been held on the island to decide on its political status. Puerto Rico has been an unincorporated territory of the United States since the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in 1898.
Four referendums about the possibility of changing Puerto Rico's status have been held, the most recent in 2012. The fifth is to be held in June 2017.
Puerto Rican Status Referendum Opinion Poll 2017
Date of opinion poll
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Conducted by | Statehood | Current status | Free Association / Independence | Abstain | Undecided | Margin of Error | Sample size |
May 24–26, 2017 | El Nuevo Día Poll | 52.00% | 17.00% | 15.00% | 9.00% | 7.00% | ±3.2% | 966 |
Puerto Rico Status referendum Voting Live 2017
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Voting will take place on 11th June primarily to identify Peurto Rico Status to decide on its political status. Puerto Rico has been an unincorporated territory of the United States.
- The vote will have no actual impact. But if Puerto Rico votes in favor of becoming the 51st state, it will be in conflict with Congress, which has the power to change the territory's status but is reluctant to do so.
- Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, but with fewer rights and responsibilities than residents of the 50 states. Puerto Ricans cannot vote for the president; like the District of Columbia, they send a non-voting delegate to Congress. They do not pay many federal taxes and receive far less support for social programs from the federal government than states.
Puerto Rico Status referendum Results Live 2017
0% votes Counted |
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Status |
Vote % |
Statehood | |
Independence/Free Association | |
Current Territorial Status |
Electoral system of Puerto Rico Referendum
While initially the referendum would only have the options of statehood and independence/free association, a letter from the Trump administration recommended to add the Commonwealth, the current status, in the plebiscite. The option had been removed from this plebiscite in response to the results of the plebiscite in 2012 which asked whether to remain in the current status and No had won. However, the Trump administration cited changes in demographics during the past 5 years to add the option once again. Amendments to the plebiscite bill were adopted making ballot wording changes requested by the Department of Justice, as well as adding a "current territorial status" option.
It is not certain what would happen if any of the options win or how the U.S. Congress would interpret the results. Previous plebiscites have discussed the margins of the win to result in a mandate with some arguing for a 50%+1 or sometimes a higher percentage to initiate congressional action on the will of Puerto Rico. Previous plebiscites with the three options have resulted in a close race between statehood and commonwealth but with neither option breaking 50%. Congressional hearings on Puerto Rico have discussed scenarios where a second round could be held on the options that win the first but that has not been discussed by the government of Puerto Rico
About Peurto Rico Political Status referendum 2017
Puerto Rico was ceded to the United States in 1898 as part of the Treaty of Paris after the end of the Spanish–American War. Since then, the island has been an unincorporated territory of the United States. Because of this territorial status, the island is neither a state of the United States nor a sovereign one. Although Puerto Ricans were granted United States citizenship with the 1917 Jones–Shafroth Act, since Puerto Rico is not a U.S. state, American citizens residing on the island cannot vote for the President of the United States (their head of government) nor for a legislator in Congress with voting powers even though the federal government of the United States has jurisdiction on the island. In addition, due to its political status, the United States has full authority over Puerto Rico's foreign policy.
Legislation approving the referendum was passed in the Senate of Puerto Rico on January 26, 2017 by a senate controlled by the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico (PNP In Spanish) which advocates for Puerto Rico to become a state of the United States. The measure was then passed with amendments by the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico on January 31 by a house which is also controlled by the PNP.The amendments then passed in the Senate and the bill was signed into law by Governor Ricardo Rosselló (PNP) on February 3, 2017
Puerto Rico Parties and leaders