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Puerto Rico election
On presidential election day in the U.S. this year -- November 6th -- there will be a vote by Puerto Ricans to decide whether they continue as a U.S. territory/ commonwealth, or whether they become the 51st state of the U.S., or even perhaps become an independent country.
Puerto Ricans have had their present status continuously for the last 60 years, and this is the 4th time they have voted on this issue. As of today, support for continuing as a U.S. territory is equal to support for becoming the 51st state. There is very little support (about 3%) for becoming an independent country.
It would be very interesting if Puerto Rico becomes the 51st state. They are already U.S. citizens, and their standard of living is very good (about the same as most states). They have a strong manufacturing, agricultural, and tourist economy. Puerto Rico would be the third-smallest state; Delaware and Rhode Island are both smaller. Perhaps the only significant difference in the Puerto Rican lifestyle is that Spanish is the predominant language.
Most Americans are unaware of the upcoming vote in Puerto Rico, and unaware that we could have a 51st state pretty soon.
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