Would Americans support Puerto Rico becoming a state — or leaving US? What poll says
The question of whether Puerto Rico should become a U.S. state has long been a topic of debate among residents of the U.S. territory and among Americans within the states.
A new poll conducted Oct. 28 by YouGov found that the majority of Americans would support Puerto Rico’s decision to become a U.S. state — or leave the U.S. entirely.
Out of 7,200 U.S. adults surveyed, 59% said they would support Puerto Rico’s statehood if residents voted in favor of it. Just 16% of participants said they would oppose statehood, and 25% said they were unsure.
The poll has a margin of error of approximately 1.5 percentage points, YouGov told McClatchy News in an email.
A slim majority of respondents — 52% — said they would support Puerto Rico becoming its own country if residents voted in favor of it. Thirteen percent of participants said they would oppose Puerto Rico’s independence while 36% said they were not sure.
There was a greater divide between Democrats and Republicans on the question of statehood, the poll shows. Seventy-nine percent of Democrats said they would support statehood while 41% of Republicans said the same.
Meanwhile, 56% of Democrats said they would support Puerto Rico becoming an independent country, and 46% of Republicans said the same.
The poll comes after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made vulgar remarks about Puerto Rico during a rally for former President Donald Trump on Oct. 27, which sparked criticism from Democrats and Republicans, Politico reported.
Trump’s campaign said it did not review or approve the comments, CBS news reported.
Residents of Puerto Rico cannot vote in presidential elections, but millions of Puerto Ricans living in the states are eligible to vote, according to CBS News.
“U.S. presidential elections are taken seriously by the 3.2 million U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico despite not having the right or the privilege to vote from the island,” Carlos Figueroa, associate professor of politics at Ithaca College in New York that specializes in research on U.S.-Puerto Rico policy, told McClatchy News in an email. “Nonetheless, others have encouraged their relatives to vote during critical presidential elections from a distance.”
Residents of Puerto Rico were most recently asked about statehood in 2020 in a nonbinding referendum, and 52% of voters were in favor of statehood.
The territory had an approximate 50% turnout in the 2020 election, according to the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission.
“We know the referenda are non-binding; thus, U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico see it as a waste of time, which leads to low voter turnout,” Figueroa said.
The question of statehood is on Puerto Rico’s ballot again on Nov. 5 in another nonbinding referendum.
Voters will be able to choose from three options — statehood, independence or sovereignty in free association with the United States.
This story was originally published October 29, 2024 at 6:13 PM with the headline "Would Americans support Puerto Rico becoming a state — or leaving US? What poll says."
