There’s an Actual New Poll Showing How Puerto Ricans in US Feel About Island-Colony’s Political Status

By:
Sep 24, 2020
3:33 PM

(AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo, File)

Drum roll, please.

A new poll released Thursday and first reported by NBC News digs deep into what Puerto Ricans living in the mainland United States are thinking about in the days leading up to the national elections. With topics that cover mail-in voting, the COVID-19 pandemic and other political issues, the poll of 1,000 people of Puerto Rican descent also asked about the island-colony’s dreaded political status question. Here is what the poll, conducted by Center for American Progress Action Fund and Latino Decisions, said:

What is your position on the political status of Puerto Rico?
Statehood: 30%
Independence: 19%
Keep current status: 20%
Modified commonwealth: 12%
Free association: 9%
Something else: 10%

And what if the options were:
Puerto Rico should become a state: 48%
Puerto Rico should remain in its current status: 33%
Puerto Rico should become an independent country: 19%

If a candidate for office were to endorse statehood for Puerto Rico would that make you more or less likely to support them.
Much more likely: 31%
Somewhat more likely: 43%
Somewhat less likely: 13%
Much less likely: 13%

If a candidate for office were to endorse statehood for Puerto Rico, so that the people of Puerto Rico would have the same rights as every other American, and have 5 members of Congress and 2 U.S. Senators representing them in Washington D.C., would that make you more likely to support that candidate, or less likely?
Much more likely: 42%
Somewhat more likely: 44%
Somewhat less likely: 8%
Much less likely: 7%

These findings come the same day a scheduled congressional committee for Friday was postponed to a later date.

The poll also shares a lot more, making it a very definitive data point about Puerto Ricans in the mainland U.S. Our favorite part is how connected the diaspora is to the happenings of the island-colony. For example:

Thinking about the politics on the island of Puerto Rico, are political leaders there doing and good job or a poor job generally?
Very good job: 13%
Somewhat good job: 34%
Not very good job: 31%
Not a good job at all: 23%

Overall, do you think things on the island of Puerto Rico are generally headed in the right direction, or do you feel things are off on the wrong track?
Wrong Track: 71%
Right Direction: 29%

And this one:

Some people say politics on the island of Puerto Rico is corrupt, while other people say that is politics as usual, no different than the mainland. How big of a problem would you say corruption is on the island of Puerto Rico?
Very big problem: 51%
Somewhat of a problem: 35%
Not that much of a problem: 11%
Not a problem at all 2%

Take the time to read the entire poll below: