Puerto Rico voters chose statehood in status votes held in 2012, 2017, 2020, and 2024 — every status vote in this century. Yet we continue to see claims that independence is gaining support and even that statehood votes are inconclusive. Some of these claims are simple election denial: people trying to discredit elections that didn’t show what they wanted them to show. Support for independence did jump from 5% to 12% in 2024. It’s still a small fraction of voters, and some of that increased support reflects voters who have an unwarranted assumption that U.S. citizenship could be preserved in a new nation of Puerto Rico. Regardless, some separatists are working hard to make the jump seem like a harbinger of real change.
A new poll of likely voters in Puerto Rico shows that things haven’t changed since the 2024 referendum. Puerto Rico voters continue to support statehood.
The poll
McLaughlin & Associates surveyed 800 Puerto Rico residents who said they were likely to vote, conducting individual interviews in Spanish. They compared the results of this poll with those of an earlier poll which included Puerto Rican voters living in states and stateside Hispanic voters of other backgrounds. They asked, “Do you approve or disapprove of Puerto Rico becoming a U.S. state?”
In Puerto Rico, 2/3 of voters approved of statehood. 1% didn’t know, but the remaining 32% includes a broad coalition of people favoring independence, those favoring continued territorial status, and those wanting independence with a Compact of Free Association. It may also include people who continue to yearn for “enhanced commonwealth,” an option that has been soundly rejected by the federal government.
Stateside Puerto Ricans were even more committed to statehood, with 71% approving of this status option.
Do the results support claims of changing views?
During the 20th century, “commonwealth” won status votes. There was widespread belief in 1967 that “commonwealth” was a special political status that could be tweaked to create a new, unique relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States. As it became increasingly clear that this was not true, the percentage of voters choosing statehood increased. From 2012 on, statehood showed a clear majority.
The 2017 referendum was boycotted by anti-statehood factions. The 2020 vote was a yes/no vote for or against statehood. The 2024 ballot included three options. Regardless of ballot structure, statehood has gained a majority in every vote held in the 20th century. Independence received a maximum of 12% of the votes.
The most recent poll indicates that, contrary to some claims, there has been no significant change. Puerto Rico still wants statehood.
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