Puerto Ricans say yes to US statehood

SAN JUAN—Puerto Ricans voted for the first time in favor of the island becoming a US state in a non-binding referendum, election officials said Wednesday.

The Caribbean island is now a self-governing US territory. The referendum was held Tuesday along with the US presidential and congressional elections.

A total of 61 percent of voters said ‘yes’ to statehood, the local election commission said, citing a tally of 95.7 percent of the votes cast.

The referendum’s main sponsor, Governor Luis Fortuno, failed to win re-election, however.