Puerto Rico went to the polls and voted for statehood Tuesday. Puerto Ricans were asked, “Should Puerto Rico be immediately admitted into the union as a state?”. With over 97 percent of the results in, over 52.27 percent of voters voted affirmatively. 

This is the sixth time that Puerto Rico has voted on the question of statehood. The last time was in 2017, when they voted overwhelmingly in favor of statehood (97 percent), but it is highly contested because the voter turnout was a mere 23 percent. This time, only 51 percent of the Puerto Rican people came out to vote, but it is enough to say that a majority approves of statehood.

Puerto Rican Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced now has five days to deliver a copy of the results to every member of Congress, as prescribed by law. Recently re-elected Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González and the Comisión de Igualdad have 30 days to present a transition plan to Governor Vázquez Garced.