At Stake in this Election: 

Puerto Rico is holding a non-binding referendum on the political status of the territory. Voters will be asked whether they want Puerto Rico to be independent, freely associate with the United States, or become a state within the United States.  

Elections for the Governorship, Senate, and House of Representatives are occurring concurrently. 

Government Structure: 

• Chief of State: President Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. (since 20 January 2021) 

• Head of Government: Governor Pedro PIERLUISI (since 2 January 2021) 

• Assembly: bicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa) with 27 seat Senate (Senado) and 51 seat House of Representatives (Cámara de Representates) 

Electoral System: 

• The President is elected by the electoral college by the states of the United States of America.  

• The Governor is directly elected by majority vote to a 4-year term. 

• 16 members of the Senate are elected in 8 2-seat constituencies by majority vote. The remaining 11 are elected at-large by majority vote. All members are elected to 4-year terms. 

• 40 members of the House of Representatives are elected in single-member constituencies by majority vote. The remaining 11 are elected at-large by majority vote. All members are elected to 4-year terms. 

Last Election:  

In the last political status referendum in 2020, voters were asked if they would like to become a state in the United States or not. 53% voted to become a state. Voter turnout was 55% 

Information for Voters: 

Preguntas Frecuentes (FAQS) / Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (in Spanish) 

Key Deadlines: 

• Voter registration deadline: 5 November 2024 

Population and Registered Voters: 

• Population: 3,205,691 (2023 est.) 

• Registered Voters: 2,355,894 (2020) 

Gender Data: 

• Female Population: 1,695,462 (2023 est.)  

• CEDAW Status: Not applicable 

• Gender Quota:  No 

• Number of Female Legislators (pre-election):  13 of 27 (48%) in the Senate and 10 of 51 (20%) in the House of Representatives 

• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: Not available 

• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Not available 

Disability Data: 

• CRPD Status: Not applicable 

• Projected population with a disability: 512,911 

IFES Resources: 

• Does IFES have a presence in Puerto Rico: No 

• Election Access: Yes