<Li> The proposed new state has sufficient population and resources to support state government and...carry its share of the cost of Federal Government . </Li> <P> In most cases, the organized government of a territory made known the sentiment of its population in favor of statehood, usually by referendum . Congress then directed that government to organize a constitutional convention to write a state constitution . Upon acceptance of that constitution, by the people of the territory and then by Congress, would adopt a joint resolution granting statehood and the President would issue a proclamation announcing that a new state has been added to the Union . While Congress, which has ultimate authority over the admission of new states, has usually followed this procedure, there have been occasions (due to unique case - specific circumstances) where it did not . </P> <P> Puerto Rico has been discussed as a potential 51st state of the United States . In a 2012 status referendum a majority of voters, 54%, expressed dissatisfaction with the current political relationship . In a separate question, 61% of voters supported statehood (excluding the 26% of voters who left this question blank). On December 11, 2012, Puerto Rico's legislature resolved to request that the President and the U.S. Congress act on the results, end the current form of territorial status and begin the process of admitting Puerto Rico to the Union as a state . On January 4, 2017, Puerto Rico's new representative to Congress pushed a bill that would ratify statehood by 2025 . </P> <P> On June 11, 2017, another non-binding referendum was held where 97.7 percent voted and favored the statehood option . The turn out for this vote was a low 23 percent, but some leaders of the New Progressive Party say this is because of migration of Puerto Ricans to mainland . This referendum was boycotted by the other two parties of opposition . </P>

Is puerto rico considered one of the 50 states