Puerto Rico Votes in Favor of Joining the U.S.

More than half of Puerto Rico's residents have expressed support for the island's status as a U.S. state, according to local newspaper El Nuevo Día.

In the recent vote, 56.82% of Puerto Ricans favored joining the U.S., with results processed from 91.35% of the ballots. Meanwhile, 30.85% of residents supported independence, and 12.33% opted to maintain the current status.

Puerto Rico has been a territory of the U.S. since 1898 but is not formally included as a state. Residents of the island are U.S. citizens but do not have the right to vote in presidential elections. However, the Puerto Rican diaspora in the U.S. does have voting power. Several referendums regarding the status of Puerto Rico have been conducted, in which residents have voted in favor of the island becoming the 51st state of the United States.