Puerto Rico's Three Status Options
In 2014, the U.S. government approved funding for a new status vote in Puerto Rico if the U.S. Department of Justice agreed that the options on the ballot were constitutional.
A proposal was made for an up or down vote on statehood for Puerto Rico, a vote like the ones Hawaii and Alaska held in the 1950s. Then a ballot was developed that offered a choice between the two non-territorial options consistent with the U.S. constitution: statehood and independence. Independence could include a compact of free association or not.
The Department of Justice rejected that ballot for two primary reasons: first, they indicated that continuing as a territory is a viable option under the constitution; and second, they thought the description of free association might sound like enhanced commonwealth.
The Status Options
For many years, Puerto Rico has had three status options:
Continue as a territory.
Become an independent nation.
Become a state.
Read more:
http://www.puertoricoreport.com/puerto-ricos-three-status-options/#.WPr63Ge1vRY