Every so often, the largest remaining American colonial possession, Puerto Rico, holds a vote on whether it ought to become a state, or leave the United States altogether, or something else entirely. And, every time such a question is put to the vote, no option garners a majority. But the election on this question being held on election day 2012 quite possibly has a higher chance of garnering a pro-statehood majority than ever before, and this is to a great extent due to the unique structure of the vote this year.

Historically, the island's inhabitants have been given a menu of choices -- punch 'A' for statehood, 'B' for independence, or 'C' for the status quo (and maybe, possibly, a 'D' selection for yet another choice). But this time around the status quo question is being separated out into a separate vote. The first question then is, essentially, do you think Puerto Rico ought to maintain its status quo position, or make some change? It is expected that between the supporters of a change to statehood and the supporters of a change to independence, a majority will pick the option to change things. This brings about the second question -- if a change is to be made, which change ought it be? There are three choices on this question, statehood, independence or "sovereign free association," a status much like that of American Samoa and a few other tiny islands which are technically under the auspices of the United States, but in practice are only very tenuous concerns. Support for independence is thought to be modest, but with statehood usually bubbling just under the majority threshold as an option, being pitted only against these other two options would seem to finally make the statehood option the favorite to win.

Naturally, a vote favoring statehood will hardly guarantee the admission of the island to that status, such vote requiring the assent of an oftimes xenophobic Congress. But, with both Democratic and Republican leaders having in the past promised to honor the outcome of such an election, it may become difficult to turn down the ambitions of an island which has been in its colonial status for a hundred and fifteen years (which is longer than any other piece of land owned by the US has remained a colony), and which has contributed the lives of countless of its young men and women to America's military efforts around the world.

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For THE IRON NODER CHALLENGE 5: THE FERROUS FRONTIER and sort of for Election 2012: An Unofficial Quest Announcement

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