Puerto Rico Votes for US Statehood Despite Poor Turnout

Puerto Rico held a non-binding referendum Sunday to determine if the population would favor US statehood. A whopping 97% of participants voted for statehood, but voter participation only reached a minuscule 23%.

“It will be up to this new generation of Puerto Ricans to demand and claim in Washington the end of the current improper colonial relationship, and begin a transition process to fully incorporate Puerto Rico as the next state of the Union,” said Governor Ricardo Rosselló in a statement.

Even so, if the nation is to become a US state, Congress would need to pass a statute laying out the transition process. Without this, the country’s status will not change.