What does Puerto Rico's vote for statehood mean for the island
A majority of Puerto Ricans voted Tuesday on a referendum that would admit the island as an official U.S. state, however experts say the issue will not be resolved anytime soon.
This is the sixth time Puerto Ricans had a choice to make on statehood since 1967, but Republican commissioner, Jenniffer González, said she is ready to take this year's referendum results to Congress.
"We're gonna push for this now, but we're gonna push for this in January, as well. ... It doesn't matter who is the president-elect," she told ABC News on Wednesday.
Political scientist and researcher Carlos Vargas Ramos told ABC News he's doubtful that Congress will take up the referendum.
In the 2012 and 2017 referendums, statehood prevailed. But the legitimacy of the results were questioned due to the confusing configuration of the status question and voter turnout.
Vargas Ramos said the referendum was non-binding and turnout is still an issue.
For this year's vote, 1.2 million people out of the island's 2.3 million eligible voters on cast a ballot on the referendum, according to the election commission's website.







