Voter Consumer Research conducted interviews with 400 Puerto Rican adults living along the I-4 corridor in Central Florida during a two week period last month, and discovered a number of interesting things.
One of the surprises in the data is that two thirds of these individuals, 92% of whom are registered voters and all of whom describe themselves as Puerto Rican, did not know about a new, federally-sponsored referendum planned for Puerto Rico.
The White House supported Puerto Rico’s 2012 plebiscite and hailed its results — rejecting continued territory status by 54% and choosing statehood among the alternatives by 61.2%. The government’s Fiscal Year 2014 Budget proposed a revote to confirm the aspirations of the People of Puerto Rico on status resolution.
Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Wolf (R) led the Congress in passing legislation based on the Obama proposal. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, says this:
$2,500,000 is for objective, nonpartisan voter education about, and a plebiscite on, options that would resolve Puerto Rico’s future political status, which shall be provided to the State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico.
Its conference committee adopted the House report language, which said,
The funds provided for the plebiscite shall not be obligated until 45 days after the [Justice] Department notifies the Committees on Appropriations that it approves of an expenditure plan from the Puerto Rico State Elections Commission for voter education and plebiscite administration, including approval of the plebiscite ballot. This notification shall include a finding that the voter education materials, plebiscite ballot, and related materials are not incompatible with the Constitution and laws and policies of the United States.
Once informed of this, 76% of those surveyed were in favor of a yes/no vote on statehood.
Puerto Rico’s governor has agreed to hold the plebiscite.
Puerto Ricans will vote, not voters on the mainland. However, Puerto Ricans on the mainland have an opportunity to influence the outcome of this vote by explaining the issues honestly to friends and family in Puerto Rico.
All U.S. voters have the opportunity to influence the eventual outcome by making it clear to our legislators that we care about self-determination for Puerto Rico and will not accept inaction from Congress.
Here’s your chance! Share this information with your friends, and sign the petition.
Voter Consumer Research surveying FL I-4 Hispanics of Puerto Rican Origin, Dates: 8/20-9/4/2014
400 Interviews / MoE +/- 4.9%
This post was originally written in English and may be being auto-translated by Google.
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