Three main alternatives are generally presented to Puerto Rican voters during Puerto Rico political status referendums: full independence, maintenance or enhancement of the current commonwealth status, and full statehood into the American Union. The exact expectations for each of these status formulas are a matter of debate by a given position's adherents and detractors. Puerto Ricans have proposed positions that modify the three alternatives above, such as (a) indemnified independence with phased-out US subsidy, (b) expanded political but not fiscal autonomy, and (c) statehood with a gradual phasing out of federal tax exemption.Contrary to common misconception, residents of Puerto Rico do pay U.S. federal taxes: customs taxes (which are subsequently returned to the Puerto Rico Treasury) (See Dept of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs.), import/export taxes (See ), federal commodity taxes (See ), social security taxes (See https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc903.html ), etc. Residents pay federal payroll taxes, such as Social Security (See https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc903.html ) and Medicare (See https://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE58N5X320090924 ), as well as Commonwealth of Puerto Rico income taxes (See http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/2003/vol7n19/USNotInnocent-en.html and ). All federal employees (See ), those who do business with the federal government (See ), Puerto Rico-based corporations that intend to send funds to the U.S. (See http://www.jct.gov/x-24-06.pdf Page 9, line 1.), and some others (For example, Puerto Rican residents that are members of the U.S. military, See ; and Puerto Rico residents who earned income from sources outside Puerto Rico, See http://www.jct.gov/x-24-06.pdf , pp 14–15.) also pay federal income taxes. In addition, because the cutoff point for income taxation is lower than that of the U.S. IRS code, and because the per-capita income in Puerto Rico is much lower than the average per-capita income on the mainland, more Puerto Rico residents pay income taxes to the local taxation authority (i.e., the government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) than if the IRS code were applied to the island. This occurs because "the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico government has a wider set of responsibilities than do U.S. State and local governments" (See http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-541 ). As residents of Puerto Rico pay into Social Security, Puerto Ricans are eligible for Social Security benefits upon retirement, but are excluded from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (Commonwealth of Puerto Rico residents, unlike residents of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and residents of the 50 States, do not receive the SSI. See http://www.socialsecurity.gov/OP_Home/handbook/handbook.21/handbook-2114.html ), and the island actually receives less than 15% of the Medicaid funding it would normally receive if it were a U.S. state (See http://www.magiccarpetautotransport.com/auto-transport/puerto-rico-auto-transport.php ). However, Medicare providers receive less-than-full state-like reimbursements for services rendered to beneficiaries in Puerto Rico, even though the latter paid fully into the system (See ). It has also been estimated (See http://www.eagleforum.org/column/2007/mar07/07-03-28.html ) that, because the population of the Island is greater than that of 50% of the States, if it were a state, Puerto Rico would have six to eight seats in the U.S. Congress' House of Representatives, in addition to the two seats in the Senate.(See http://www.eagleforum.org/column/2007/mar07/07-03-28.html , http://www.crf-usa.org/bill-of-rights-in-action/bria-17-4-c.html# and http://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/cpquery/?&sid=cp1109rs5H&refer=&r_n=hr597.110 [Note that for the later, the official US Congress database website, you will need to resubmit a query. The document in question is called "House Report 110-597 – PUERTO RICO DEMOCRACY ACT OF 2007." These are the steps to follow: http://www.thomas.gov --> Committee Reports --> 110 --> drop down "Word/Phrase" and pick "Report Number" --> type "597" next to Report Number. This will provide the document "House Report 110-597 – PUERTO RICO DEMOCRACY ACT OF 2007", then from the Table of Contents choose "BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION".]). Another misconception is that the import/export taxes collected by the U.S. on products manufactured in Puerto Rico are all returned to the Puerto Rico Treasury. This is not the case. Such import/export taxes are returned only for rum products, and even then the US Treasury keeps a portion of those taxes (See the "House Report 110-597 – PUERTO RICO DEMOCRACY ACT OF 2007" mentioned above.)

Regardless of the outcome of the referendum or the vote on the bill, action by the United States Congress would be necessary to implement changes to the status of Puerto Rico under the Territorial Clause of the United States Constitution. The United States has been preparing for the outcome of a binding-referendum with Puerto Rico Status Act in the 2020s, and it passed the U.S. House in 2022, but not senate. In 2024, another non-binding referendum was included in the November 2024 ballot, the outcome was Statehood again being favored with about 58% of the vote.

The last State to join the Union was Hawaii, in 1959, although the last territory to formally join the United States was the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in 1986. Puerto Rico is also a Commonwealth, the most popular option in 1960s, but it is still having referendums whereas Northern Marianas was not a part of the US, and had several referendums eventually choosing the US in the late 20th century.

Table summary The following table summarizes the results of Puerto Rico's political status referendums:

+ Results of Puerto Rico's status referendums2005 President's Task Force. Page 4 . 1967Puerto Rico State Electoral Commission: Official Results for the 1967 Political-Status Plebiscite. Retrieved May 1, 2010. 1993Puerto Rico State Electoral Commission: Official Results for the 1993 Political-Status Plebiscite. Retrieved May 1, 2010. 19982005 President's Task Force. Page 4 Retrieved May 1, 2010.Puerto Rico State Electoral Commission: Official Results for the 1998 Political-Status Plebiscite. Retrieved May 1, 2010. 2012201720202024 Independence 4,248 (0.6%) 75,620 (4.4%) 39,838 (2.54%) NA 74,895 (5.5%)7,981 (1.5%) NA 125,171 (11.82%) Free Association NA NA 4536 (0.29%) NA 454,768 (33.2%)NA 313,259 (29.57%) Commonwealth 425,132 (60.4%) 826,326 (48.6%) 993 (0.06%) 828,077 (46.0%) NA 7,048 (1.3%) NA NA Statehood 274,312 (39.0%) 788,296 (46.3%) 728,157 (46.49%) NA 834,191 (61.3%)508,862 (97.2%)655,505 (52.52%) 620,782 (58.61%) None of the above NA NA 787,900 (50.3%) 970,910 (54.0%) NA NA 592,671 (47.48%) NAValid votes703,6921,690,2421,561,4241,798,9871,363,854523,8911,248,1761,059,212Invalid/blank votes3,601 (0.51%)10,748 (0.63%)4,846 (0.31%)80,215 (4.27%)515,348 (27.42%)1,247 (0.24%)40,959 (3.18%)204,341 (19.29%) Electoral turnout 707,293 66.27% Political Status of Puerto Rico: Options for Congress. Report RL32933. By Keith Bea and R. Sam Garrett, Congressional Research Service. Dated June 19, 2009. Page 29. Table B-1: Puerto Rico Status Votes in Plebiscites and Referenda, 1967–1998. Page 29. Retrieved December 5, 2009. 1,700,990 73.54% 1,566,270 71.26% 1,879,202 78.20% 525,138 22.23%1,289,135 54.72% 1,263,553 63.58% The exact significance of referendum results is debated by local observers. The 1967 results showed strong support for maintaining the commonwealth, but this victory was followed by the first loss in twenty years of governorship by the Popular Democratic Party, the main supporter of the commonwealth association. This occurred in part because of bickering leadership. The 1993 results appear to protest the ideas or forum used to change status as imposed by the then-ruling Popular Democratic Party; the demands were controversial because there was no assurance, and great doubt, that they would be accepted by Congress. The 1998 results, where the PPD sponsored choice "none of the above" won, protested criteria set forth by the then ruling New Progressive Party.

1967 referendum

In 1967, the Legislative Assembly tested the political interests of the Puerto Rican people by passing a local Plebiscite Act that allowed a vote on the status of Puerto Rico. This constituted the first referendum by the Legislature for a choice on three status options. At 60.4% percent of the vote, the commonwealth option won the majority vote. Following this referendum, efforts in the 1970s to enact legislation to address the status issue died in congressional committees.

The Partido Estadista Republicano boycotted the referendum leading to their decline in favor of the new PNP.

1991 Constitutional Amendment referendum

The 1991 Referendum on the proposed "Claim to Democratic Rights" asked the voters to approve the addition of an amendment to the Puerto Rican constitution. The wording of this amendment would guarantee: The inalienable right to freely and democratically determine Puerto Rico's political status. The right to choose a dignified, non-colonial, non-territorial status not subordinate to plenary powers of Congress. The right to vote for three alternatives. The right that only results with a majority will be considered triumphant in a referendum. The right that any status would protect Puerto Rico's culture, language and identity, and continued independent participation in international sports events. The right that any status guarantees the individual's right to American citizenship.

Passage of this referendum would have constituted a claim for the government of Puerto Rico to establish these rights in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico constitution and petition the President and Congress for these rights, but it was rejected by the people of Puerto Rico on a vote of 660,264 (53%) against to 559,259 (44.9%) in favor.El Archivo de las Elecciones en Puerto Rico: Escrutinio del Referéndum del 8 de diciembre de 1991. Reclamación de Derechos Democráticos. (In Spanish) Elecciones en Puerto Rico. By Manuel Álvarez Rivera. Claim to Democratic Rights. Retrieved December 21, 2009.

As per the Congressional Research Service report, despite PDP and PIP support, a majority (53%) voted against the proposal. Some contended that the decision to schedule the referendum represented an indirect step to block statehood. Others perceived the rejection to reflect dissatisfaction with the governor. Another explanation offered for the vote was that some cast their ballots out of fear that a “yes” vote would result in a further degradation of federal benefits and the loss of U.S. citizenship.

1993 referendum

A subsequent referendum was organized by the Puerto Rican government in 1993 (in which the Congress played a more substantial role) where, at 48.6%, the commonwealth status won a plurality, though not a majority vote. The current political status (status quo) failed to receive the majority support it sought.Elections in Puerto Rico: 1993 Status Plebiscite Results .Elections in Puerto Rico: 1998 Status Plebiscite Results .

The U.S. Congress played a more substantial role in the 1993 referendum than it did in the 1967 referendum. In the 1992 election campaign, the PNP candidate for governor urged, and the legislature agreed, that a referendum on status be held “after the U.S. Congress failed to approve” status legislation. Since definitions on the ballot were formulated by the political parties themselves, neither Congress nor executive branch officials intervened to ensure that the alternatives presented to the voters would pass constitutional muster. The disconnect between the ballot option and constitutional requirements was summarized in the House report accompanying legislation introduced three years after the referendum, as follows: