# Puerto Rico, the 51st state; some questions
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 7, 2012, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184 "2012-11-07T06:39:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/1 "2012-11-07T06:39:02Z")
Puerto Rico has [voted](http://news.yahoo.com/puerto-rico-votes-us-ties-chooses-governor-145403629--election.html;_ylt=A2KJ3Cef.5lQ_gsAqSzQtDMD) in favor of statehood. I know that this doesn’t actually make them a state; only Congress can do that. How many members of the House of Representatives would PR be entitled to? Does Puerto Rico need to write a new constitution now, or can they keep using their existing one? Am I write in thinking that PR would loose all the memberships it has in international organizations (like the Olympics or Miss Universe) now?
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### Author:  [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/2 "2012-11-07T06:45:50Z")
The wording of the referendum was so wacky that I’d expect at least one more referendum (statehood: yes or no) before anything substantial happens.
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### Author:  [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/3 "2012-11-07T07:05:54Z")
From the OP’s link
> [@](#):
>
> With 243 of 1,643 precincts reporting . . .
This hardly looks like a done deal.
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### Author:  [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/4 "2012-11-07T07:10:03Z")
This is an insane idea. Expect the ongoing snit over bilingualism to kick up a couple of notches.
I suppose if Puerto Rico becomes a state, that could precipitate another state leaving.
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### Author:  [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/5 "2012-11-07T07:10:28Z")
Are they tabulating the overlap on the two questions? 53% against the status quo and 65% (in a separate question) in favor of statehood as the alternative _could_ indicate a majority in favor of statehood, but it could also mean plurality support for the status quo.
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### Author:  [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/6 "2012-11-07T07:12:44Z")
> [@njtt](#):
>
> From the OP’s link
>
> This hardly looks like a done deal.
The full results are [here](http://resultados.puertoricodecide.com/2012/elecciones-generales/). That held.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/7 "2012-11-07T07:22:44Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#):
>
> How many members of the House of Representatives would PR be entitled to?
Five
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/8 "2012-11-07T11:04:00Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> Five
Where would they come from? The number of representatives is fixed, so there’d have to be three votes removed from the rest of the states. So which state(s) would be losing electors?
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### Author:  [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/9 "2012-11-07T11:40:18Z")
> [@BigT](#):
>
> Where would they come from? The number of representatives is fixed, so there’d have to be three votes removed from the rest of the states. So which state(s) would be losing electors?
Nobody would lose electors until 2022, as determined by the 2020 census. Until then, there would be more than 435 members of the house.
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### Author:  [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/10 "2012-11-07T12:15:15Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#):
>
> Puerto Rico has [voted](http://news.yahoo.com/puerto-rico-votes-us-ties-chooses-governor-145403629--election.html;_ylt=A2KJ3Cef.5lQ_gsAqSzQtDMD) in favor of statehood. I know that this doesn’t actually make them a state; only Congress can do that. How many members of the House of Representatives would PR be entitled to? Does Puerto Rico need to write a new constitution now, or can they keep using their existing one? Am I write in thinking that PR would loose all the memberships it has in international organizations (like the Olympics or Miss Universe) now?
In the House, the general method is that after each census seats are apportioned by taking the total of number of seats and then giving 1 seat to each state, after which the remaining seats are apportioned according to the Huntington-Hill method, which apportions the seats 1 at a time. Each seat is handed out by determining the priority of each state by dividing its population by the square root of the product of the number of seats it currently holds times the number of seats it currently holds +1.
Priority = P / sqrrt(n\*(n+1))
However, when new states are admitted, like when Hawaii and Alaska were, they just give new seats to the new state, temporarily increasing the size of the house (otherwise, you’d have to kick out sitting Congressmen, which doesn’t really work). I don’t know what the exact process for that is. But Puerto Rico is about the same size as Oklahoma (3.7 million vs. 3.8) - so they’d probably be given 5, the same as Oklahoma.
Of course, they’d get 2 Senate seats, like all other states.
Their Constitution wouldn’t necessarily need to be changed, but it would be subject to the Supremacy Clause, meaning that any parts of it that conflicted with the US Constitution, federal statutory or administrative law, federal court rulings, or US treaties, would be a nullity.
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### Author:  [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/11 "2012-11-07T12:49:18Z")
Has anyone got an article that officially confirms this? I can’t read Spanish…or is it too early to tell?
In any case, if it’s true, how do you Americans feel about it? Excited? It’s a historic occasion.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/12 "2012-11-07T13:22:23Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#):
>
> This is an insane idea. Expect the ongoing snit over bilingualism to kick up a couple of notches.
It’s also a ridiculous snit. There is no official language in the US. Several states have historically had a high proportion of Spanish speakers due to being formerly part of Mexico or a Spanish colony. The world will not end if there’s a majority-Spanish state. Learning English is already mandated in PR so really, nothing would change.
> [@](#):
>
> I suppose if Puerto Rico becomes a state, that could precipitate another state leaving.
States aren’t allowed to leave - that was settled in the 19th Century.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/13 "2012-11-07T13:24:09Z")
> [@BigT](#):
>
> Where would they come from? The number of representatives is fixed, so there’d have to be three votes removed from the rest of the states. So which state(s) would be losing electors?
There is actually precedent for that.
Temporarily, the number of representatives would be increased by at least one to represent PR. The next time reps are reapportioned they’ll drop back to 435 with PR counted in with the rest of the states.
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### Author:  [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/14 "2012-11-07T13:25:37Z")
This is the longest the USA has ever gone without adding a state. Overdue for a new one.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/15 "2012-11-07T13:26:31Z")
> [@Malden\_Capell](#):
>
> In any case, if it’s true, how do you Americans feel about it? Excited? It’s a historic occasion.
Personally, I’m largely indifferent. I have long supported the right of the Puerto Ricans to make or not make the choice for statehood. When the majority was against it I was all for continuing their current status. If the majority now want statehood I definitely support their decision. I’m sure it’s a huge deal to them, and will be for some others, but I don’t see this affecting my life much at all.
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### Author:  [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/16 "2012-11-07T13:37:46Z")
> [@Malden\_Capell](#):
>
> In any case, if it’s true, how do you Americans feel about it? Excited? It’s a historic occasion.
Well I’m excited. I hope they DO take statehood, it would be better for trade, ease some other minor technical issues, admit a large new population into the house and senate, and simply be an all-around morale booster for a country that badly needs some.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/17 "2012-11-07T13:44:20Z")
It’s not going to happen. PR would probably align with the Democracts, and the current house wouldn’t let five more Democrats in.
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### Author:  [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/18 "2012-11-07T13:48:15Z")
May I add a more basic question? What has to happen for Puerto Rico to become a state-- asks the person who was eligible to vote on this question via having one parent born there but what the hell do I know about Puerto Rican politics?
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### Author:  [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/19 "2012-11-07T14:25:37Z")
Based on Texas’ precedent, there’d have to be a treaty between Puerto Rico and the US; although that might not apply as Texas was a sovereign country beforehand and Puerto Rico is a US territory…
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### Author:  [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2012, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-the-51st-state-some-questions/640184/20 "2012-11-07T14:28:29Z")
> [@Malden\_Capell](#):
>
> In any case, if it’s true, how do you Americans feel about it? Excited? It’s a historic occasion.
If that’s what the people of Puerto Rico want, I would support it. If that’s not what they want, I’m fine with that, too.
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