I bet you didn’t even know there was an election.

On 6/11/17, the people of Puerto Rico went out to vote on the ever important issue: should Puerto Rico remain a territory, become a state, or gain independence all together?

It was the fifth referendum in the island’s history, yet it was so obscure and irrelevant that barely anyone even knows about it! I say obscure and irrelevant because the election had a 23% voter turnout, where there is usually 80%, according to the New York Times.

Of the 23% who voted, 97% voted for statehood. Wow! Crazy, huh? Most other voters did not go because they felt that the election was inherently biased towards statehood. The fact that the pro-statehood governor took this inaccurate figure as evidence of want for statehood does indeed point to this theory.

I write this article because I feel more people need to know about this election, because it highlights a very important issue; that being the current situation of Puerto Rico. 1 in 10 is unemployed, people have been emigrating from the island, not to mention chest deep in 70 billion dollars of debt.

I think most of the people on the island would rather the U.S. government helped them get back on their feet than bail them out as part of the Union. Not too mention, I’m sure many Puerto Ricans are worried that integration will destroy the cultural heritage of the island.

This election is important because it brings important issues to light. We should not let this election disappear without a trace, but rather learn what its results are telling us.

What do you guys think about the election? Post in the comments.