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San Juan, PR (10/30/2012)
The upcoming status referendum has a large number of Puerto Rican voters undecided about how vote on the
question of whether they support continuing the current territorial status. While 13% are undecided, 47% plan
to Vote yes while 40% will vote No. Crime and Drugs has become the major concern for Puerto Ricans for the
current year. An October 2012 telephone poll of residents of the island showed that 61% of respondents, 6 out
of every ten consider the economy the biggest problem facing Puerto Rico today. The economy came in second
as an issue in importance, picked by 16% of those polled.
When asked to rate the present general business conditions in their area a whopping 54% rated them as bad,
37% as normal with only 8% rating them as good.
The so called "brain drain" continues to be a problem. When asked if they had ever considered moving to the
U.S. mainland one out of every four (26%) answered in the affirmative, continuing a trend of talented and well
educated Puerto Ricans leaving in the island in search of better living conditions.
In terms of status respondents are clearly looking for maintaining close ties with the United States. According
to the poll, 70% of those interviewed answered that if given a choice between statehood and independence they
would vote for statehood. If the U.S. Congress were to offer statehood to the people of Puerto Rico, 69% would
vote to accept statehood.
When asked about the importance of issues related to status, U.S. citizenship was ranked by 92% of
respondents as important, 91% consider both English and Spanish as official languages important and a vote for
U.S. President was ranked as important by 85% of those interviewed.
The preferences of voters for the upcoming elections show a very tight race with many voters still undecided. In
the race for Governor 34% will vote for Governor Luis Fortuño (New Progressive Party or PNP for its Spanish
acronym), while 30% will vote for State Senator Alejandro García Padilla (Popular Democratic Party or PPD
for its Spanish acronym), 4% for Attorney Juan Dalmau (Puerto Rican Independence Party or PIP), 2% for
University Professor Rafael Bernabe of the People's Workers Party or PPT for its Spanish acronym, 2% for the
former President of the Puerto Rican Bar Association Arturo Hernández (of the Sovereign Union Movement or
MUS for its Spanish acronym) and 1% for Environmental Activist Rogelio Figueroa (Puerto Ricans for Puerto
Rico Party or PPR for its Spanish acronym) A considerable number of voters reaching 29% remain undecided.
See what Puerto Rico residents have to say about the economy, healthcare, taxes and a wide array of other
issues.
View the entire poll here.
(The telephone survey, the latest Puerto Rico Herald poll to be done on economic, social, status and current
issues, involved 1,000 residents throughout the island and has a margin of error of +/- 3%.). Interviewing was
conducted by a private stateside firm between September 21 and September 30th of 2012.
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