by Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration
Luis A. Ferré
(Two-tier plebiscite will gauge voters’ support of current territorial status, as well as non-territorial status preferences)
Ponce, Puerto Rico – For the first time ever, Puerto Rico’s voters will face in 2012 an up or down vote on their support for the island’s current status as a U.S. territory. The vote is part of a two-tier status consultation that Puerto Rico Governor Luis G. Fortuño signed into law today, during a ceremony held in the hometown of his Republican predecessor and political mentor, former Governor Luis A. Ferré.
The November 6, 2012 status choice ballot, which will be included as a separate ballot the same day voters also choose their Governor, non-voting Member of Congress, Mayors and legislators, will pose two questions to the island’s electorate. Voters will first be asked if they agree with maintaining the current territorial political condition, to which they can answer either yes or no.
Irrespective of voters’ answer to the first question, voters will also be asked to express their preference for one of the three non-territorial status options recognized by Congress, Republican and Democratic presidential administrations as well as the United Nations: statehood, independence or free association.
“By virtue of this status consultation, we will know clearly, first, whether or not our people wish to maintain the current territorial status and second, which of the non-territorial alternatives enjoys the most support among Puerto Ricans,” said Governor Fortuño.
The Governor emphasized that the two-tier configuration of the 2012 status consultation takes into account a series of findings and recommendations from the three most recent reports of the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status (2005, 2007 and 2011), as well as previous experiences with both local and federal status initiatives. “This status consultation also fulfills a pledge we made to voters in 2008, that during this term they would have the opportunity to express their preference for Puerto Rico’s future,” said the Governor.
“The island’s status is an issue that affects every aspect of our daily lives, including employment opportunities, health services, public safety, our children’s education and our very rights as American citizens,” said the Governor. “The moment has arrived for our people to act decisively to resolve Puerto Rico’s status issue once and for all. When the people make their historic choice next November, it will then be the turn of elected officials – both in San Juan and Washington – to act upon that mandate,” Fortuño concluded.
