2012 Port Huron Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 2: vs Dayton Silverbacks
Darryl Johnson threw a 14-yard pass to Jose Morris to open up the second half scoring. Port Huron went for two points and failed. Dayton then came back and scored with 4 minutes left in the quarter when Sawyer threw a 44 yards pass to Tyler Waller. The third quarter ended and the Silverbacks led 36-22.


2012 Port Huron Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 2: vs Dayton Silverbacks
In the fourth quarter, Dayton added two touchdowns to close out the scoring and win the game 50-22.


2012 Port Huron Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 4: vs Dayton Silverbacks
After the team saw the entire coaching staff, quarterback and a kicker change, the Patriots went on the road for their first road game in franchise history against the undefeated Dayton Silverbacks. New quarterback Torrance Webster threw a pair of touchdowns to Jose' Cannon, and ran in another score. New kicker Chris Kolias was 1 for 2 on field goal attempts, and 3 for 3 in extra point attempts. In the end, it was Webster's three interceptions that cost the Patriots the game, as the final one was taken back 40 yards by Melvin Thomas to ultimately seal the win for the Silverbacks.


2012 Port Huron Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 6: vs Saginaw Sting
The Sting came into the game with a 3-0 record and were facing Port Huron for the first of two consecutive weeks playing each other for the rights to the "Michigan Cup." The Sting went on to defeat the Patriots by a score of 49-35. Saginaw's Tommy Jones led the way for the Sting, throwing six touchdowns.


2012 Port Huron Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 8: vs Indianapolis Enforcers
The Patriots won an unusual game, as a majority of the Enforcers players decided not to travel with the team and they were forced to dress Port Huron players who were inactive for the game. The Patriots won, 62-8.


2012 Portland State Vikings football team
The 2012 Portland State Vikings football team represented Portland State University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third year head coach Nigel Burton and played their home games at Jeld-Wen Field. They are a member of the Big Sky Conference. They finished the season 3–8, 2–6 in Big Sky play to finish in a tie for 11th place.


2012 Portland State Vikings football team, Schedule
Despite also being a member of the Big Sky Conference, the game with North Dakota on September 8 was considered a non conference game and had no effect on the Big Sky Standings.


2012 Portland Timbers season
The 2012 Portland Timbers season was the 2nd season for the Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top flight professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. The season ended with a 1-1 tie with San Jose on October 27, an MLS record of 8-10-16, and elimination from the MLS Cup at 8th place in the western conference and 17th in the overall MLS regular season standings. The Timbers won the 2012 Cascadia Cup with a record of 3-1-2 against Seattle and Vancouver. Including all previous teams in the area to bear the "Timbers" name, this is the 26th season in the history of the Portland Timbers franchise.


2012 Portland Timbers season, Background
On July 9, Portland Timbers parted company with John Spencer. Gavin Wilkinson was then appointed as manager until the end of the season.


2012 Portland Timbers season, Competitions, Major League Soccer, Western Conference standings
(SS) = Supporters Shield winner; (W1) = Western Conference champion


2012 Portland Timbers season, Competitions, Major League Soccer, Results summary
Last updated: October 29, 2012Source: Pld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won;  T = Matches tied;  L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference


2012 Portland Timbers season, Competitions, Cascadia Cup
The Cascadia Cup is a trophy that was created in 2004 by supporters of the Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. It is awarded to the club with the best record in league games versus the other participants.


2012 Portland Timbers season, Squad, Current roster
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Squad correct as of August 7, 2012.


2012 Portland Timbers season, Squad, Statistics, Appearances and goals
All players contracted to the club during the season included.


2012 Portland Timbers season, Miscellany, Allocation ranking
Portland is in the #8 position in the MLS Allocation Ranking. The allocation ranking is the mechanism used to determine which MLS club has first priority to acquire a U.S. National Team player who signs with MLS after playing abroad, or a former MLS player who returns to the league after having gone to a club abroad for a transfer fee. A ranking can be traded, provided that part of the compensation received in return is another club's ranking.


2012 Portland Timbers season, Miscellany, International roster slots
Portland has 8 MLS International Roster Slots for use in the 2012 season. Each club in Major League Soccer is allocated 8 international roster slots. Clubs may trade their excess international roster slots to other teams and there is no limit to the amount of slots each team can acquire.


2012 Portland Timbers season, Miscellany, International roster slots
Portland acquired one additional slot for use in the 2011 and 2012 seasons from Los Angeles Galaxy, in exchange for allocation money, to bring their total to 9 for their first two seasons in MLS. The Timbers then traded one of their 2012 slots to the Montreal Impact in exchange for not selecting any Timbers players in the 2011 MLS Expansion Draft and a 2015 MLS Supplemental Draft 4th Round pick.


2012 Portland Timbers season, Miscellany, International roster slots
Prior to the 2012 season, Portland acquired an additional slot from D.C. United for use in the 2012 and 2013 seasons in exchange for allocation money, bringing their total back up to 9 at the start of the 2012 season. In July 2012, Portland traded a slot to Colorado Rapids as part of the Kosuke Kimura deal. That slot returns to Portland after the 2012 season.


2012 Portland, Oregon mayoral election
The 2012 Portland mayoral election was held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, to elect the mayor of Portland, Oregon. Charlie Hales was elected, defeating Jefferson Smith. Incumbent mayor Sam Adams did not seek a second term.


2012 Portland, Oregon mayoral election
Portland uses a nonpartisan system for local elections, in which all voters are eligible to participate. All candidates are listed on the ballot without any political party affiliation.


2012 Portland, Oregon mayoral election
All candidates meeting the qualifications competed in a blanket primary election on Tuesday, May 15, 2012. As no candidate received an absolute majority, the top two finishers advanced to a runoff in the November 6 general election. In the general election, former city commissioner Charlie Hales defeated state representative Jefferson Smith with approximately 61% of the vote.


2012 Portland, Oregon mayoral election, General election
The November 6 general election was a race between Charlie Hales and Jefferson Smith.


2012 Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach strike
In 2012, members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) went on strike at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in the U.S. state of California. The strike was due to issues over labor contract negotiations between port employers and the ILWU's Local 63 Office and Clerical Unit (OCU), which represents about 800 clerical workers at the ports. In 2010, the existing labor contract with the OCU expired, and the union and employers disagreed on the terms of a new contract. The main issue regarded job security, with the union accusing the employers of excessive outsourcing and the employers countering that the union was featherbedding. Negotiations would continue for over 2 years.


2012 Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach strike
On November 27, about 70 OCU members went on strike, with the number of strikers expanding over the following days. About 10,000 longshoremen at the ports, also ILWU members, honored the strike action and refused to cross the picket lines, shutting down over half of the terminals at the ports. Some estimates claim that the strike was causing approximately $1 billion per day in losses, though this figure has been debated. The strike ended on December 4, with both sides agreeing to a tentative labor contract. While this contract was ultimately rejected by the union in February 2013, the union accepted a different contract later that same month.


2012 Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach strike, Background
The Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach, both located in the Greater Los Angeles area, together constitute the largest port complex in the United States, handling approximately one third of the container shipping in the country and 40% of the country's total imports. In the early 2010s, about 800 clerical workers at these facilities were members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 63 Office and Clerical Unit (OCU). Additionally, approximately 10,000 longshoremen at the ports were also represented by the ILWU.


2012 Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach strike, Background
On June 30, 2010, the labor contract between the OCU and employers at the harbor expired, with the two entities negotiating a new contract. However, the two sides disagreed over the contents of the contract, with the union arguing for greater job security, alleging that the employers were trying to outsource the clerical jobs, which was denied by the employers. OCU president John Fageaux alleged specifically that 51 permanent positions at the port had been eliminated over the previous 5 years, with the companies planning to eliminate an additional 76 positions. The port employers countered that the union was engaging in featherbedding. Negotiations would continue for the next two years without results.


2012 Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach strike, Course of the strike
On November 27, 2012, about 70 clerical workers at the Port of Los Angeles, all OCU members, went on strike. The union members worked for APM Terminals, a company that operates Pier 400 at the port. Longshoremen at the pier, also members of the ILWU, honored the strike action and as a result, the port was shut down. Later that day, an arbitrator stated that the longshoremen should not honor the strike, but the longshoremen continued to do so, appealing the arbitrator's ruling to a senior arbitrator. Picketing also commenced at the port.


2012 Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach strike, Course of the strike
The following day, the strike expanded, shutting down 6 of the 7 terminals at the Port of Los Angeles and 3 of the 6 terminals at the Port of Long Beach. Following this, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa sent a letter to both the union and representatives for the employers, urging them to resume negotiations. Speaking to the Associated Press that same day, a spokesperson for the Port of Los Angeles stated that the strike was "not crippling the port by any means".


2012 Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach strike, Course of the strike
However, a report by KPCC on November 29 stated that there were 18 cargo ships in the area that were docked and not being serviced.


2012 Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach strike, Course of the strike
That same day, the Los Angeles Business Journal stated that U.S. Representatives Judy Chu, Janice Hahn, and Grace Napolitano (all members of the Democratic Party) had voiced their support for the striking workers, while Bloomberg News stated that the National Retail Federation was asking U.S. President Barack Obama to intervene in the labor dispute and also claimed that, if the strike continued, ships originally intended for the ports may instead divert to other ports along the West Coast, significantly increasing shipping costs. By that time, three ships had already diverted, with two traveling to the Port of Oakland in California and one traveling to the Port of Ensenada in Mexico. On the night of November 29, the two sides returned to contract negotiations.


2012 Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach strike, Course of the strike
On December 2, following four consecutive days of negotiations, Villaraigosa sent a letter to the employers and union urging them to seek out mediation to resolve the dispute. Around this same time, estimates put the economic impact of the strike at almost $1 billion per day, a figure disputed by international economist Jock O'Connell. The following day, the mayor held a meeting between the two sides to discuss an end to the dispute, and on December 4, the Associated Press reported that White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said that the president was watching the situation closely.


2012 Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach strike, Course of the strike
On December 4, Villaraigosa announced that both sides had agreed to Federal mediation, with a union representative stating that the strike would still continue. By this point in the strike, 17 ships originally bounded for the twin ports had been diverted to other ports. Later that night, around 10:30 p.m., Villaraigosa announced that both sides had agreed to end the strike, with workers returning to work the following day. The agreement included a proposed labor contract that would require subsequent ratification by the union, with both sides optimistic that the contract would be approved. Details of the contract were not made public. The deal, which was set to last until 2016, was reached shortly before Federal mediators arrived. At 8 days, this strike was the longest one at the ports since a 10-day long labor dispute in 2002.


2012 Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach strike, Course of the strike
In February 2013, however, the tentative contract was rejected by the union, raising concerns over possible continuing strike action. However, by February 20, the union voted to approve a new contract between the OCU and employers.


2012 Portsmouth City Council election
The 2012 Portsmouth City Council elections took place on Thursday 3 May 2012 to elect members of Portsmouth City Council in Hampshire, England. One third of the council (14 seats) was contested using the first-past-the-post voting system. The ruling Liberal Democrats won a majority of the seats being contested, and remained in overall control of the council.


2012 Portsmouth City Council election, Election result
All comparisons are to the 2008 local elections, at which the same tranche of seats were last elected.


2012 Portsmouth City Council election, Ward results
Comparisons for the purpose of determining a gain, hold or loss of a seat, and for all percentage changes, is to the last time these specific seats were up for election in 2008.


2012 Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix
The 2012 Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix was the third round of the 2012 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 4–6 May 2012 at the Autódromo do Estoril located in Estoril, Portugal.


2012 Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix
This was the last Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix held until 2020, which was held at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimao.


2012 Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix, Championship standings after the race (MotoGP)
Below are the standings for the top five riders and constructors after round three has concluded.


2012 Power Horse World Team Cup
The 2012 Power Horse World Team Cup was a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 34th edition of the World Team Cup, and was part of the 250 series of the 2012 ATP World Tour. It took place at the Rochusclub in Düsseldorf, Germany from May 20–26, 2012.


2012 Power Horse World Team Cup, Players
The field was announced earlier, with Japan receiving a wild card later on.


2012 Powys County Council election
The fourth election to the Powys County Council since local government reorganization in Wales in 1995 was held on 1 May 2012. It was preceded by the 2008 election and will be followed by the 2017 election. The Independent group retained a majority on the authority


2012 Powys County Council election, Ward Results (Brecknockshire), Llangattock (one seat)
Jeff Holmes was elected as a Liberal Democrat in 2008.


2012 Powys County Council election, Ward Results (Brecknockshire), Llangors (one seat)
The sitting member was previously a Liberal Democrat. Incumbent elected unopposed at last election.


2012 Powys County Council election, Ward Results (Brecknockshire), St Davids Within (one seat)
The successful candidate had been elected as an Independent councilor for St John Ward in 2008 but now captured this ward from the Independents


2012 Powys County Council election, Ward Results (Brecknockshire), Talybont-on-Usk (one seat)
The sitting member was elected as a Liberal Democrat in 2008.


2012 Powys County Council election, Ward Results (Montgomeryshire), Newtown East (one seat)
The sitting member had been elected as a Liberal Democrat in 2008 but subsequently joined the Conservatives.


2012 Powys County Council election, Ward Results (Radnorshire), Llandrindod North (one seat)
Gary Price previously represented a different ward as an Independent.


2012 Powys County Council election, Ward Results (Radnorshire), Presteigne (one seat)
The sitting member had previously stood as a Liberal Democrat.


2012 Powys County Council election, By-Elections 2012-2017, Glasbury by-election 2015
A by-election was held in Glasbury on 13 August 2015 following the resignation of Chris Davies, who was elected MP for Brecon and Radnor at the 2015 General Election.


2012 Powys County Council election, By-Elections 2012-2017, Welshpool Llanerchyddol by-election 2016
A by-election was held in Welshpool Llanerchyddol on 15 December 2016 following the death of Ann Holloway.


2012 Poznań Open
The 2012 Poznań Open was a professional tennis tournament played on clay courts. It was the ninth edition of the tournament which was part of the 2012 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place at the Park Tenisowy Olimpia in Poznań, Poland from 14 to 22 July 2012, including the qualifying competition in the first two days.


2012 Poznań Open, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2012 Poznań Open, Doubles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following pairs received wildcards into the doubles main draw:


2012 Poznań Open, Champions, Doubles
Rameez Junaid /  Simon Stadler def. Adam Hubble /  Nima Roshan, 6–3, 6–4


2012 Poznań Open – Doubles
Olivier Charroin and Stéphane Robert were the defending champions but decided not to participate that year. Rameez Junaid and Simon Stadler won the final 6–3, 6–4 against Adam Hubble and Nima Roshan.


2012 Poznań Open – Singles
Rui Machado was the defending champion but decided not to participate that year. Jerzy Janowicz won the final 6–3, 6–3 against Jonathan Dasnières de Veigy.


2012 Prairie View A&M Panthers football team
The 2012 Prairie View A&M Panthers football team represented Prairie View A&M University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Panthers were led by second year head coach Heishma Northern and played their home games at Edward L. Blackshear Field. They were a member of the West Division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and finished the season with an overall record of three wins and eight losses (3–8, 3–6 SWAC).


2012 Prairie View A&M Panthers football team, Media
All Prairie View A&M games were carried live on KPVU 91.3 FM.


2012 Prairie View A&M Panthers football team, Before the Season, 2012 Recruits
12 players signed up to join the 2012 Prairie View A&M team.


2012 Prairie View A&M Panthers football team, Game Summaries, Texas Southern
Texas Southern holds an 18-8 advantage in the Labor Day Classic, but Prairie View A&M had won the most recent 5 games headed into this game.


2012 Prairie View A&M Panthers football team, Game Summaries, Lamar
The Cardinals open up their home slate with their first ever contest against fellow Texas University Prairie View A&M.


2012 Preakness Stakes
The 2012 Preakness Stakes was the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes thoroughbred horse race. The race took place on May 19, 2012, and was televised in the United States on the NBC television network. The post time was 6:20 p.m. EDT (10:20 p.m. UTC). I'll Have Another won the second leg of the Triple Crown, narrowly defeating Bodemeister in a last-furlong push.


2012 Preakness Stakes
The Maryland Jockey Club report a record crowd of 121,309, the second highest attendance for American thoroughbred racing events in North America during 2012.


2012 Preakness Stakes
I'll Have Another became the 33rd horse to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes double.


2012 Preakness Stakes, The full chart
The post draw was televised on the Horse Racing TeleVision network (HRTV) on May 17, 2012 at 6:00 p.m.EDT.


2012 Preakness Stakes, The full chart
Both the winner of the 2012 Kentucky Derby, I'll Have Another and the second placed horse Bodemeister entered the race. Also back from the Derby were fourth-place finisher Went the Day Well and fifth-place finisher Creative Cause, as well as Daddy Nose Best, who placed tenth, and Optimizer, who took 11th at the Derby.


2012 Preakness Stakes, The full chart
Bodemeister was the 8/5 morning-line favorite and I'll Have Another was the 5/2 second choice.


2012 Preakness Stakes, The full chart
Kent Desormeaux the original named rider of Tiger Walk was removed after failing a breathalyzer test in New York and replaced by Ramon Dominguez.


2012 Premier League Darts
The 2012 McCoy's Premier League Darts was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation; the eighth edition of the tournament. The event began at the Manchester Arena in Manchester on 9 February, and ended at The O2 Arena in London on 17 May.


2012 Premier League Darts
The format was a double round robin tournament with the top 4 finishers moving on to the play-offs. Each league match was played best of 14 legs. If a player won his eighth leg before the 14th leg, no further legs were played after this point. Two points were awarded for a win and one point awarded for a draw.


2012 Premier League Darts
Phil Taylor won his sixth and final Premier League title by defeating Simon Whitlock 10–7 in the final. The two men who contested the final were also the players to throw nine-dart finishes during the tournament. Taylor's came in week 2 against Kevin Painter and Whitlock threw his during his semi-final win against Andy Hamilton.


2012 Premier League Darts
The 2012 Premier League final between Phil Taylor and Simon Whitlock, which took place on 17 May 2012, was the last darts match that Sid Waddell commentated on before his death of bowel cancer on 11 August 2012.


2012 Premier League Darts, Qualification
The PDC's top four players following the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship on 3 January qualified by right to compete in the Premier League Darts 2012, and were joined by four wild card selections. Two being chosen by the PDC and two being chosen by broadcasters Sky Sports. The line-up was confirmed on 3 January 2012. Andy Hamilton and Kevin Painter made their debut Premier League appearances as wildcard entries.


2012 Premier League Darts, Prize money
The prize money was increased to £450,000 from £410,000 in 2011, but the highest checkout bonus was withdrawn, and the third place play-off was removed as well.


2012 Premier League Darts, Table and streaks, Table
Last updated: 11 May 2012Source: Match reports from the results section


2012 Premier League Darts, Table and streaks, Table
Top four qualified for the Play-Offs after Week 14. NB: LWAT = Legs Won Against Throw. A = AverageHC = High checkout. Players separated by +/- leg difference if tied. If leg difference is equal the table is sorted by the player's LWAT.


2012 Premier League Darts, Player statistics
The following statistics are for the league stage only. Playoffs are not included.


2012 Premier League Darts, Charity single
The 2012 Premier League Darts players teamed up with the singer Chas Hodges and his band to record a charity single written by Chas called "Got My Tickets for the Darts". The video features Chas, his band, the 2012 Premier League Darts players and walk-on girl Jacqui Adams. The song was released exclusively on iTunes on Friday 18 May, the night after the play-offs at the O2 in London, where it was premiered. Proceeds from the single was donated to the Haven House Children's Hospice.


2012 Premier League Snooker
The 2012 PartyPoker.com Premier League was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament that was played from 16 August to 25 November 2012. This was the last edition of the tournament, as in 2013 it was replaced by the Champion of Champions.


2012 Premier League Snooker
Ronnie O'Sullivan was the defending champion, but he decided not to compete this year.


2012 Premier League Snooker
Stuart Bingham won his eighth professional title by defeating Judd Trump 7–2 in the final.


2012 Premier League Snooker, Prize fund
The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:


2012 Premier League Snooker, League phase, Group one
The top two qualified for the play-offs. If points were level then most frames won determined their positions. If two players had an identical record then the result in their match determined their positions. If their match was a 3–3 draw then the player who got to three first was higher. (Breaks above 50 shown between (parentheses); century breaks are indicated with bold.)


2012 Premier League Snooker, League phase, Group two
The top two qualified for the play-offs. If points were level then most frames won determined their positions. If two players had an identical record then the result in their match determined their positions. If their match was a 3–3 draw then the player who got to three first was higher. (Breaks above 50 shown between (parentheses); century breaks are indicated with bold.)


2012 Premier League Snooker, Play-offs
* 71–13, 74–44, 22–94 (58), 0–81 (81), (117) 132–0, 52–65, (50)–(76), (74) 74–8, (57) 71–34** 65–77 (55), 14–68, 54–15, 0–87, 60–58, 81–0, 56–29, 45–78 (58), 71–16***7–(83), (82)–0, (100)–8, 76–33, (55, 53) 116–9, (61) 74–5, 0–(101), (71) 115–9, 58–54


2012 Premier League Snooker, Qualifiers
The qualification for this tournament, the Championship League was played in eight groups from 9 January to 22 March 2012.


2012 Premier League of Belize
The 2012 Premier League of Belize is the first season of the highest competitive football league in Belize, after it was founded in 2011. The season commenced on 11 February 2012.


2012 Premier League of Belize, League formation
In October 2011 teams were invited to apply for membership for the new Premier League of Belize. In early January 2012 it was announced that there will be 12 teams competing in the inaugural season. There will be 6 teams from the North Zone and 6 teams from the South Zone. Each team will play teams in their zone twice, with the top 2 teams from each zone advancing to the playoffs.


2012 Premier League speedway season
The 2012 Premier League season was the second tier/division of British speedway.


2012 Premier League speedway season, Summary
The season took place between March and October 2012. The Glasgow Tigers were the defending champions after winning in 2011.


2012 Premier League speedway season, Summary
Scunthorpe Scorpions won the league after beating Somerset Rebels in the play-offs by one point in the Grand Final.


2012 Premier League speedway season, Premier League Knockout Cup
The 2012 Premier League Knockout Cup was the 45th edition of the Knockout Cup for tier two teams. Newcastle Diamonds were the winners of the competition.


2012 Premier League speedway season, Premier League Knockout Cup, Final
Newcastle were declared Knockout Cup Champions, winning on aggregate 106–74.


2012 Premiership Rugby Sevens Series
The 2012 Premiership Rugby Sevens Series (styled for sponsorship reasons as the 2012 J.P Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby 7s Series) was the third Rugby Union 7-a-side competition for the twelve 2012–13 Aviva Premiership Clubs. It began on Friday July 13 and lasted 4 weeks, with the final at the Recreation Ground on Friday 3 August 2012.


2012 Premiership Rugby Sevens Series, Format
The twelve Premiership Clubs were split into three Groups – A, B and C – with each group playing in a consecutive week in July. Each team in the group played each other once, to the International Rugby Board Laws of the Game - 7s Variations. Based on the result, teams received:


2012 Premiership Rugby Sevens Series, Format
Following all the games, the winner and runner up in the group progressed to the final. In the final, the 6 teams (3 Winners and 3 Runners up) were split into 2 pools. Again teams played each other once and points were awarded based on the result. Following the culmination of this stage the winners of each pool progressed to the final, the winner of that game being declared the champions.


2012 Premiership Rugby Sevens Series, Group stage
The group draw was based on geographical positioning of the clubs playing, with the exception of London Welsh, who were swapped for Newcastle Falcons following their successful promotion appeal. Premiership Rugby confirmed the match times at 2pm on 4 July 2012.


2012 Premiership Rugby Sevens Series, Group stage, Group A
Played at The Stoop, Twickenham on Friday 13 July 2012.


2012 Premiership Rugby Sevens Series, Group stage, Group B
Was played at Edgeley Park, Stockport on Friday 20 July 2012.


2012 Premiership Rugby Sevens Series, Group stage, Group C
Was played at Kingsholm, Gloucester on Thursday 26 July 2012.


2012 Premiership Rugby Sevens Series, Final stage
The finals were played at The Recreation Ground, Bath on Friday 3 August 2012.


2012 Premiership Rugby Sevens Series, Final stage
For the finals, the 6 qualified teams were split into two pools of three teams. Scoring remained the same as in the previous rounds (4 points for a win, etc. ), and the winner of each pool progressed to the final.


2012 Premiership Rugby Sevens Series, Final stage, Final
The final was contested by the winners of the two finals pools.


2012 Premiership Rugby Sevens Series, Final stage, Final
In a slight difference to the rest of the series, the final was played in two halves of 10 minutes (instead of 7 minutes), with a slightly longer half-time.


2012 Premios Juventud
The 9th Annual Premios Juventud (Youth Awards) were broadcast by Univision on July 19, 2012.


2012 Premios Juventud, Winners and nominees, Television
"Día De Suerte" – Alejandra Guzmán (Una Familia Con Suerte)


2012 Première Ligue de soccer du Québec season
The 2012 PLSQ season was the first season of existence for the Première Ligue de soccer du Québec, a Division 3 men's semi-professional soccer league and the highest level of soccer fully contained within the province of Quebec. It is below Major League Soccer and the North American Soccer League in the Canadian soccer league system.


2012 Première Ligue de soccer du Québec season
FC Saint-Léonard were the league champions for the inaugural season.


2012 Première Ligue de soccer du Québec season, Teams
The 2012 season was contested between five teams. Each team will play 16 regular season games, as well as four exhibition matches with each team playing a match against the Montreal Impact Academy, the U23 team of Quebec, Alymer, and one other semi-professional team.


2012 Presbyterian Blue Hose football team
The 2012 Presbyterian Blue Hose football team represented Presbyterian College in the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Harold Nichols and played their home games at Bailey Memorial Stadium. They are a member of the Big South Conference. They finished the season 2–9, 0–6 in Big South play to finish in last place.


2012 President of the Senate of the Czech Republic election
Election of the President of the Senate of the Czech Republic was held on 21 November 2012. Milan Štěch was reelected for his second term.


2012 President of the Senate of the Czech Republic election, Background and voting
Czech Social Democratic Party has won 2012 Senate election. Party's gains gave Milan Štěch strong position to be reelected as the President of the Senate. Party nominated him as the only candidate.


2012 President of the Senate of the Czech Republic election, Background and voting
Voting took place on 21 November 2012. Štěch received 74 votes of 79.


2012 President's Cup (Maldives)
The 2012 President's Cup, was the 62nd season of the President's Cup, a knock-out competition for Maldives' top 4 football clubs. Victory Sports Club were the defending champions, having beaten New Radiant Sports Club 2–1 in last season's Final.


2012 President's Cup (Maldives)
The winner of the competition will qualify for the qualifying play-off of the 2013 AFC Cup. The final was held on the 15 October 2012, and was contested at Rasmee Dhandu Stadium between the same finalists of the previous season, New Radiant and Victory. New Radiant won the final 2-1 on penalties, claiming a record ninth President's Cup, after the score was 0-0 after extra time.


2012 President's Cup (Maldives), Background, Broadcasting rights
The broadcasting rights for all the matches of 2012 Maldives President's Cup were given to the Television Maldives.


2012 President's Cup (Maldives), Final
The final was played on 15 October 2012 at Rasmee Dhandu Stadium. The final involved one team from the Dhivehi League, New Radiant and Victory. The game was won by New Radiant after a penalty shoot-out.


2012 President's Cup (Maldives) Final
The 2012 President's Cup (Maldives) Final was the 62nd Final of the Maldives President's Cup.


2012 President's Cup (tennis)
The 2012 President's Cup was a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the sixth edition of the tournament for men and the 4th edition for women, and is part of the 2012 ATP Challenger Tour and the 2012 ITF Women's Circuit. It took place in Astana, Kazakhstan between 23 and 29 July 2012.


2012 President's Cup (tennis), ATP singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2012 President's Cup (tennis), WTA singles  main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2012 President's Cup (tennis), WTA singles  main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received entry by a lucky loser spot:


2012 President's Cup (tennis) – Men's Doubles
Konstantin Kravchuk and Denys Molchanov successfully defended their title, defeating Karol Beck and Kamil Čapkovič 6–4, 6–3 in the final.


2012 President's Cup (tennis) – Men's Singles
Mikhail Kukushkin was the defending champion but decided not to participate. Evgeny Donskoy won the title, defeating Marsel İlhan 6–3, 6–4 in the final.


2012 President's Cup (tennis) – Women's Doubles
Vitalia Diatchenko and Galina Voskoboeva were the defending champions, but both chose not to participate.


2012 President's Cup (tennis) – Women's Doubles
Oksana Kalashnikova and Marta Sirotkina won the title, defeating Lyudmyla Kichenok and Nadiya Kichenok 3–6, 6–4, [10–2] in the final.


2012 President's Cup (tennis) – Women's Singles
Vitalia Diatchenko would be the defending champion, but chose not to participate.


2012 President's Cup (tennis) – Women's Singles
Maria João Koehler won the title defeating Marta Sirotkina in the final 7–5, 6–2.


2012 Prestige Hotels & Resorts Curling Classic
The 2012 Prestige Hotels & Resorts Curling Classic was held from September 27 to October 1 at the Vernon Curling Club in Vernon, British Columbia as part of the 2012–13 World Curling Tour. The women's event, was held in a round robin format, and the men's event, held in a triple-knockout format. The purses for the men's and women's were CAD$26,000 and CAD $35,000, respectively.


2012 Preston City Council election
Elections to Preston City Council took place on 3 May 2012, the same day as other 2012 United Kingdom local elections.


2012 Preston City Council election
Preston council is elected "in thirds", which means one councillor from each three-member ward and selected councillors from a number of two-member wards are elected each year, followed by one year free from any elections to ensure all councillors serve a full term.


2012 Preston City Council election
Two wards will have 'double elections' due to early resignations.


2012 Preston City Council election
Due to the "in thirds" system, the 2012 election results below are directly compared with the corresponding elections in 2008, with the change in vote share calculated on this basis. Other elections can be found at Preston local elections.


2012 Preston City Council election, Ashton
Won in corresponding 2008 elections by Conservative Party, majority 113. Ashton was a Labour gain from the Conservatives at the 2011 elections


2012 Preston City Council election, Brookfield
Won in corresponding 2008 elections by Conservatives, with a majority of 91. The Brookfield ward is in the north-east of the borough.


2012 Preston City Council election, Cadley
Won in corresponding 2008 elections by Liberal Democrats, majority 386. When this councillor resigned in 2010, it was held by the Liberal Democrats in the resulting by-election. Cadley is at the west of the Fulwood area of the borough.


2012 Preston City Council election, Deepdale
Won in corresponding 2008 elections by an independent candidate, majority 348. Labour won the seat at the 2011 elections.


2012 Preston City Council election, Fishwick
Won in corresponding 2008 elections by the Labour Party, majority over the Liberal Democrats of 41. The former township lies to the east of the A6 London Road.


2012 Preston City Council election, Garrison
Won in corresponding 2008 elections by Conservative Party, majority 883. Garrison is in the northeast of the borough, with Fulwood Barracks at its centre.


2012 Preston City Council election, Greyfriars
Won in corresponding 2008 elections by Conservative Party, majority 1,237. It lies at the north of the Fulwood area, with the M55 motorway at its northern edge, intersected by the West Coast Main Line. The ward is predominately suburban, and a white population of nearly 95%


2012 Preston City Council election, Ingol
Won in corresponding 2008 elections by Liberal Democrats, majority 154. Ingol and Tanteron lie in the north of the borough, to the east of the A6 Garstang Road.


2012 Preston City Council election, Ingol, Ingol and Tanterton Neighbourhood Council
There was inaugural elections to a 10-member Neighbourhood Council covering the Ingol ward on the same day. There was 13 candidates, all of whom independent candidates.


2012 Preston City Council election, Larches
Won in corresponding 2008 elections by Liberal Democrats, majority 384. This ward has been won by the Labour Party in the preceding 2009 and 2010 elections


2012 Preston City Council election, Lea
Won in corresponding 2008 elections by the Conservative Party, gaining from the Liberal Democrats, with a  majority of 88. The ward is coterminous with Lea and Cottam civil parish.


2012 Preston City Council election, Rural East
Preston Rural East is a large rural division won in corresponding 2008  elections by Conservative Party, majority 785. The ward contains the civil parishes of Broughton, Haighton, and Grimsargh.


2012 Preston City Council election, Rural North
Won in corresponding 2008 elections by Conservative Party, majority 1,628, the ward of Preston Rural North covers the civil parishes of Woodplumpton, Barton, Whittingham, and Goosnargh


2012 Preston City Council election, Rural North
Due to the resignation of Councillor Kate Calder the poll for Rural North will be a double vacancy, making direct comparison with the corresponding 2008 election too inaccurate.


2012 Preston City Council election, Ribbleton
Won in corresponding 2008 elections by Labour Party, majority 381 over the Conservatives. Situated in the east of the borough, Ribbleton extends across to the Red Scar industrial estate in addition to the mix of suburban and terraced communities closer to Preston City Centre. Parts of the division are amongst the most deprived in England


2012 Preston City Council election, Riversway
Won in corresponding 2008 elections by Labour Party, majority 251. Labour regained the seat in a 2010 by-election. Riversway contains the former Preston Dock, suburban residential areas and County Hall.


2012 Preston City Council election, Sharoe Green
Won in corresponding 2008 elections by Conservative Party, majority 787. This division contains the Royal Preston Hospital.


2012 Preston City Council election, St George's
Won in corresponding 2008 elections by Labour, majority 173, the ward of St George's consists of terraces off Deepdale Road, some University of Central Lancashire Halls of Residence, and recently built private apartments. The ward has a population which is approximately 65% white and 30% Asian.


2012 Preston City Council election, St George's
Due to the resignation of Councillor Taalib Shamduddin the contest for St George's will be a double vacancy, which makes direct comparison with the corresponding 2008 election inaccurate.


2012 Preston City Council election, St Matthew's
Won in corresponding 2008 elections by Labour Party, majority 199, the St Matthew's ward contains Preston Prison at the far corner of the ward, at the junction of the A6 London Road. At the 2001 Census, the ethnic profile of St Matthews was over 70% white, with three areas within the division amongst the 10% most deprived in England


2012 Preston City Council election, Town Centre
Based on the areas of Avenham, Frenchwood and the City Centre, the ward of Town Centre is the largest non-rural ward in the borough. The 2008 result was a Labour hold, with a majority of 74 over an independent candidate. The ward is over 60% white and almost a third Asian or Asian British


2012 Preston City Council election, Tulketh
Won in corresponding 2008 elections by Labour Party, majority 54 over the Liberal Democrats, and in a by-election later that year with a majority of 23.


2012 Primera B de Chile season
The 2012 Primera B de Chile season was the 62nd completed season of the Primera B de Chile.


2012 Primera División de México Clausura Liguilla
The Liguilla (English: Little League) of the 2012 Mexican Primera División Clausura season is a final knockout tournament involving eight teams of the Mexican Primera División. The tournament began on May 2, 2012 with the first matches of the quarterfinals and ended on May 20, 2012 with the second leg of the final. The winners and runners-up of the competition will qualify for the 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League.


2012 Primera División de México Clausura Liguilla, Teams
In a change from previous seasons, the 18 teams in the 2012 Clausura were not divided into three groups of six teams each. Instead, the eight best teams in the general table qualified for the competition.


2012 Primera División de México Clausura Liguilla, Bracket
The eight qualified teams play two games against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner of each match up is determined by aggregate score.


2012 Primera División de México Clausura Liguilla, Bracket
The teams were seeded one to eight in quarterfinals, and will be re-seeded one to four in semifinals, depending on their position in the general table. The higher seeded teams play on their home field during the second leg.


2012 Primera División de México Clausura Liguilla, Quarterfinals
The first legs of the quarterfinals were played on May 2 and 3. The second legs were played on May 5 and 6.


2012 Primera División de México Clausura Liguilla, Quarterfinals
Kickoffs are given in local time (UTC-5 unless stated otherwise).


2012 Primera División de México Clausura Liguilla, Semi-finals
The first legs of the semifinals were played on May 9 and 10. The second legs were played on May 12 and 13.


2012 Primera División de México Clausura Liguilla, Semi-finals
Kickoffs are given in local time (UTC-5 unless stated otherwise).


2012 Primera División de México Clausura Liguilla, Final
The first leg of the final was played on May 17. The second leg was played on May 20.


2012 Primera División de México Clausura Liguilla, Final
Kickoffs are given in local time (UTC-5 unless stated otherwise).


2012 Primera División of Chile
The 2012 Primera División del Fútbol Profesional Chileno season (known as the 2012 Campeonato Nacional Petrobras for sponsorship reasons) is the 81st season of top-flight football in Chile. Universidad de Chile is the defending champion. Universidad de Chile won both the Apertura and the Clausura Championships


2012 Primera División of Chile, Format changes
For the 2012, the ANFP's Council of Club Presidents approved the return to the Apertura and Clausura format, with playoffs.


2012 Primera División of Chile, Teams
Eighteen teams will be competing in the Primera División for the 2012 season, sixteen of whom are returning from the 2011 season. Santiago Morning and Ñublense were relegated last season after finishing 17th and 18th overall, respectively. There were replaced by Antofagasta and Rangers, the 2011 Primera B winner and runner-up, respectively.


2012 Primera División of Chile, Torneo Apertura
The Torneo Apertura began in January and will end on July 2.


2012 Primera División of Chile, Torneo Apertura, Classification stage
The Classification Stage began in January and ended in July.


2012 Primera División of Chile, Torneo Apertura, Playoff stage
For all ties, the lower-seeded team play the first leg at home.


2012 Primera División of Chile, Torneo Apertura, Playoff stage
Updated as of games played on July 2, 2012. Universidad de Chile wins final by PK 2-0.


2012 Primera División of Chile, Torneo Clausura
The Torneo Clausura began in July and will end in December.


2012 Primera División of Chile, Torneo Clausura, Playoff stage
For all ties, the lower-seeded team play the first leg at home.


2012 Primera División of Chile, Aggregate table, Relegation/promotion playoffs
Everton won 4–3 on aggregate and is promoted to Primera División. Universidad de Concepción is relegated to Primera B.


2012 Primera División of Chile, Aggregate table, Relegation/promotion playoffs
Cobresal won 4–3 on aggregate and remains in Primera División. Barnechea remains in Primera B.


2012 Prince Edward Island Scotties Tournament of Hearts
The 2012 Prince Edward Island Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Prince Edward Island's women's provincial curling championship, was held from January 20 to 23 at the Charlottetown Curling Club in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The winning team of Kim Dolan represented Prince Edward Island at the 2012 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Red Deer, Alberta, where her team finished with a 3-8 record.


2012 Prince Edward Island Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Standings
* Hughes was awarded first place by virtue of a round robin win over Fullerton.


2012 Princeton Tigers football team
The 2012 Princeton Tigers football team represented Princeton University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Bob Surace and played their home games at Powers Field at Princeton Stadium. They are a member of the Ivy League. They finished the season 5–5 overall and 4–3 in Ivy League play to places in a three-way tie for third. Captain Mike Catapano was Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year. He was drafted in the 2013 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs with the first pick of the seventh round (207th overall) becoming Princeton's first draftee since Dennis Norman in the 2001 NFL Draft.


2012 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The 2012 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe was a horse race held at Longchamp on Sunday 7 October 2012. It was the 91st running of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.


2012 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The winner was Solemia, a four-year-old filly trained in France by Carlos Laffon-Parias. The winning jockey was Olivier Peslier.


2012 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
In the closing stages of the race, Orfevre seemed likely to become the first winner of the event for Japan. But Solemia, an outsider in the betting, passed the leader in the home straight.


2012 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Subsequent breeding careers
Leading progeny of participants in the 2012 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.


2012 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Subsequent breeding careers, Other Stallions
Masterstroke (3rd) - Floridee - (1st Prix Bournosienne 2018)Saonois (15th) - Minor flat and jumps winnersSea Moon (8th) - Minor flat runnerMeandre (12th) - Exported to Czech RepublicMikhail Glinka (14th) - Exported to Czech Republic


2012 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Subsequent breeding careers, Broodmares
Great Heavens (6th) - Dubhe - Listed class handicapperSolemia (1st) - Minor flat winnerHaya Landa (4th) - Minor winner in JapanYellow And Green (5th) - Minor flat winnerShareta (9th) - Minor flat runners


2012 Pro Bowl
The 2012 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2011 season. It took place at 2:00 pm local time on Sunday, January 29, 2012 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The AFC defeated the NFC, 59–41.


2012 Pro Bowl
The 59 points scored by the AFC team were a Pro Bowl record, and the combined 100 total points was second in the series' history to only the 2004 Pro Bowl. Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall was named the game's Most Valuable Player after catching four touchdown passes, breaking the record for touchdown receptions in a Pro Bowl which was set by Jimmy Smith in 2004.


2012 Pro Bowl
The AFC team was coached by Gary Kubiak of the Houston Texans while Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy led the NFC all-stars. The referee for the game was Walt Coleman.


2012 Pro Bowl, Broadcasting
The game was televised nationally by NBC. The telecast of the game garnered a Nielsen rating of 7.9 nationally. While this represented an eight percent drop over the 2011 Pro Bowl ratings, the game was still the second most watched Pro Bowl of the past twelve years. The game drew more viewers than the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. NBC also broadcast the 2013 game as Super Bowl broadcaster CBS had declined to carry it.


2012 Pro Bowl, Social media
The NFL loosened its rules which forbid players from communicating via social media during games, by setting up a computer on each sideline to allow players to use Twitter. Washington Redskins linebacker London Fletcher used the occasion to propose a contest among his Twitter followers to predict the game's final score and MVP. However, the NFL had him rescind the offer and he instead gave away a signed jersey instead of cash, presumably on anti-gambling grounds.


2012 Pro Bowl, Entertainment
The pop band Hot Chelle Rae played during the pregame ceremonies for the game. United States Air Force Technical Sergeant Richard Vazquez sang the national anthem before the kickoff. Several representatives of the U.S. Armed Forces participated in the coin toss ceremony: Major General Rodger Mathews, U.S. Army Pacific deputy commander; Lieutenant General Thomas L. Conant, U.S. Marine Corps Pacific command deputy commander and USAF Major General Darryll Wong, adjutant general of the Hawaii Air National Guard. The halftime show, "NFL Salute to Service," was a tribute to the United States Armed Forces featuring the U.S. Army Silent Drill Team along with over a thousand service members stationed at bases in Hawaii.


2012 Pro Bowl, Reactions
Simon Samano of NFL.com wrote about the game, "Players love the trip to Hawaii but don't care for the game itself. They have no desire to risk injury in a 'meaningless' game, which is why they don't play hard, which is how you end up with 59–41 as the final score. It's that lack of effort that caused fans to boo during portions of this year's game."


2012 Pro Bowl, Reactions
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers stated on his radio show, "I was just surprised that some of the guys either didn’t want to play or when they were in there didn't put any effort into it." The Pro Bowl has different rules than a regular season NFL game. Blitzing is not allowed and the 4–3 formation must always be used in defensive formations.


2012 Pro Bowl, Reactions
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, speaking a week after the game, stated that the 2012 Pro Bowl wasn't "the kind of football we want to be demonstrating to our fans, and you heard it from the fans, the fans were actively booing in the stands. ... We are going to either have to improve the quality of what we are doing in the Pro Bowl or consider other changes, or even consider eliminating the game if that is the kind of quality of game we are going to provide."


2012 Pro Bowl, Reactions
Philip Rivers also questioned some of the players efforts in the Pro Bowl game. Rivers discussed with Bill Williamson during an interview “In general, maybe the whole week should be up for discussion, but I know there are guys in the game whose contracts may be up and they don’t want to get hurt and things like that. Still, we have to think of the fans and try to stay true to the game and not make a joke or a mockery out of the game."


2012 Pro12 Grand Final
The 2012 Pro12 Grand Final was the final match of the 2011–12 Pro12 season. The 2011-12 season was the first with RaboDirect as title sponsor and the third ever Celtic League Grand Final. Ospreys won the game 31-30 against Leinster.


2012 Pro12 Grand Final
Shane Williams scored a 78th minute try in the corner for the Ospreys which Dan Biggar converted to seal victory by one point.


2012 Pro12 Grand Final, Route to the final, 2011-12 Final Table
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:


2012 Professional Hockey League All-Star Game
The 2012 Professional Hockey League All-Star Game (Ukrainian: Матчу Зірок, Matchu Zirok)  was the first All-Star game for the 2011–12 season of the Professional Hockey League (PHL). It took place on 22 January 2012 13:00 UTC at the Palace of Sports in Kyiv, Ukraine.


2012 Prosperita Open
The 2012 Prosperita Open was a professional tennis tournament played on clay courts. It was the ninth edition of the tournament which was part of the 2012 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Ostrava Czech Republic between April 30 and May 6, 2012


2012 Prosperita Open, ATP entrants, Other Entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2012 Prosperita Open – Doubles
Olivier Charroin and Stéphane Robert were the defending champions but decided not to participate this year. Radu Albot and Teymuraz Gabashvili won the title by defeating Adam Pavlásek and Jiří Veselý 7–5, 5–7, [10–8] in the final.


2012 Prosperita Open – Singles
Stéphane Robert was the defending champion but decided not to participate. Jonathan Dasnières de Veigy won the title by defeating Jan Hájek 7–5, 6–2 in the final.


2012 Proton Malaysian Open
The 2012 Proton Malaysian Open was a professional men's tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the fourth edition of the tournament, and part of the 2012 ATP World Tour. It took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia between 24 and 30 September 2012. Juan Mónaco won the singles title.


2012 Proton Malaysian Open, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2012 Proton Malaysian Open, ATP doubles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following pairs received wildcards into the doubles main draw:


2012 Proton Malaysian Open – Doubles
Eric Butorac and Jean-Julien Rojer were the defending champions but both decided to participate at the 2012 PTT Thailand Open instead. Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares prevailed in the final against Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins, 5–7, 7–5, [10–7].


2012 Proton Malaysian Open – Singles
Janko Tipsarević was the defending champion but decided to participate at 2012 PTT Thailand Open instead. Juan Mónaco won the title, beating Julien Benneteau 7–5, 4–6, 6–3 in the final.


2012 Prémio Autores
The 2012 Prémio Autores was the third edition of the Prémio Autores. It took place on 27 February 2012 and was broadcast by RTP.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum
A constitutional referendum was held in Puerto Rico on 19 August 2012. Voters were asked whether they approve of two amendments to the constitution; one to eliminate the absolute right to bail and the other to decrease the number of members of the Legislative Assembly. Despite support from the party in government and part of the main opposition party, both amendments were rejected by voters.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Background
On January 9, 2012, Puerto Rican Governor Luis Fortuño signed the project for a Legislative Reform that would reduce the number of legislators. According to Fortuño, this would result in a decrease in the expenses associated with the operation of the Legislative Assembly. To achieve this, the constitution has to be amended, which would require a referendum to the people.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Background
On May 10, 2012, the Senate approved a resolution that proposed another amendment to the Constitution, this time to eliminate the absolute right to bail, specifically in murder cases, and others. Governor Fortuño signed the resolution on May 15, agreeing to hold the referendum for both constitutional amendments on August 19, 2012.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Background
Former Governors Rafael Hernández Colón, Carlos Romero Barceló, and Pedro Rosselló, had tried unsuccessfully to eliminate the absolute right for bail during their tenures. Rosselló was the only one to hold a referendum in 1994, but people voted against the amendment.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Proposed amendments, Article III
The first amendment applies to Article III, Sections 2, 3, 4, and 7. It proposes to reduce the members of the Legislative Assembly from 78 to 56. Specifically:


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Proposed amendments, Article III
This would require increasing the number of senatorial districts from 8 to 11, while reducing the representative districts from 40 to 33.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Proposed amendments, Article II
The second amendment applies to Article II, Sections 11. It proposes to eliminate the absolute right to bail, specifically in cases of those accused of:


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Proposed amendments, Article II
In those cases, the judge will have the discretion of conceding or denying bail, after evaluating if the accused represents a risk to others or to the case.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Voting process
Both proposed amendments were presented to the voters in a ballot, with two questions. Each question asked if they approved the proposed amendment, to which the voters answered in a "Yes" or "No" checkbox to each question. Each ballot also presented the proposed amendment as it would have been featured in the Constitution of Puerto Rico, if it had won.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Voting process
The ballot format was criticized by various groups, who considered it "difficult to read", according to José Acarón, state director of the AARP. Roberto Aponte, electoral commissioner for the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) also stated that the ballot would be "troublesome to read". Ramón Jiménez, director of the referendum scrutiny, assured that the ballot was readable, but also said that voting colleges would have enlarged ballots for anyone who needed them.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Voting process
Prisons in Puerto Rico held the voting process for the referendum on August 17, 2012 with approximately 8,350 of 11,800 prisoners participating. Former Speaker of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives and convict Edison Misla Aldarondo voted in a Bayamón prison. He said to a newspaper that he voted in favor of eliminating the absolute right for bail because "it is a mechanism to deal with the crime situation." However, he voted against the proposed Legislative Reform saying that "quality and quantity are two different things".


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Voting process
On August 19, 2012, 3,151 voting colleges opened at 8:00am and closed at 3:00pm.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Campaign, Opponents
Reaction to the proposed amendments was mixed, with several groups deciding to campaign against them answering "No" to each question. A coalition group called Frente Amplio de Puerto Rico: Mesa Amplia de Diálogo decided to campaign against both amendments and declared August 17, 2012 to be the "Day of No and No". The group is formed by new parties Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS), Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party (PPR), and the Worker's People Party of Puerto Rico (PPT), along with groups like the Alianza Pro Libre Asociación Soberana (ALAS), Church's Council, and the Ecumenic Coalition.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Campaign, Opponents
The Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) is campaigning against both amendments, arguing that the proposed Legislative Reform would "crush minorities" by increasing the number of votes that minority candidates would need to be elected. Several weeks before the referendum, they also argued that there was still confusion among the voters, and that electoral participation will be around 20%.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Campaign, Opponents
Héctor Pesquera, co-president of the Hostosian National Independence Movement (MINH) asked people to vote against the amendments arguing that eliminating the absolute right to bail won't be a solution to the rising crime rate in the island. The members of the Ateneo Puertorriqueño, one of the main cultural institutions of the island, also wrote a statement against the amendments calling them an "attempt on people's rights".


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Campaign, Opponents
Various leaders within the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) campaigned against the amendments. Former Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá posted a video on his blog in which he asked people to vote "No". The former President of the Senate, Miguel Hernández Agosto, and former gubernatorial candidate, Victoria Muñoz Mendoza, also stated their opposition to the amendments. Current candidates Rafael Cox Alomar, Eduardo Bhatia and Carmen Yulín Cruz also said they were against the amendments, despite the position of the president of the party and current gubernatorial candidate Alejandro García Padilla to vote in favor.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Campaign, Opponents
Human rights activist Pedro Julio Serrano expressed himself against the amendments, arguing that the problem wasn't the bail, but rather that "7 out of 10 cases are solved". He also offered statistics from the Legal Assistance Association that showed that, out of 100 persons accused of murder during a year, only eight received the benefit of freedom while awaiting their trial.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Campaign, Opponents
The Puerto Rico Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (PRACDL) also expressed themselves against the amendments. In their statement, they argued that "preventive detention hasn't contributed to make Puerto Rico, or United States, a safer place for their citizens, nor does it contribute to a culture of respect to the rights of others."


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Campaign, Opponents
In August 2012, Puerto Rican singer/actor Ricky Martin posted on his website "To amend the Constitution goes beyond party ideologies. Don't let fear and frustration decide your vote. The rights we already have shouldn't be relinquished." René Pérez, from Calle 13, also invited people to vote "No" to the amendments. Pérez wrote on his Facebook page "You wouldn't amputate an arm or a leg, unless it was to save your life. The same happens with freedom. The right for bail is part of it. You shouldn't vote to have a part of you amputated. Think. If one day you're wrongly accused, you should have the right to be free while you wait to prove it" and added "Limit the weapons, not our rights."


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Campaign, Opponents
A group of artists under the name of Artistas en Defensa al Derecho a la Fianza also made statements against the proposed amendments to the Constitution. The group, led by actor Luis Enrique Romero, included artists from several branches like actresses Ineabelle Colón, Amneris Morales, Magali Carrasquillo, and Anamín Santiago; folk singers José Antonio "Tony Mapeyé" Rivera and Eduardo Villanueva; singers/musicians Irvin García and Pepe Sánchez; painter Pablo Marcano, and photographer Félix Guayciba. During a press conference, actress Amneris Morales called the current government "a dictatorship", while fellow actress Carrasquillo argued that "not everybody will be accused with the same severity".


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Campaign, Opponents
The parents of Karla Michelle Negrón, a 15-year-old girl that was killed by a stray bullet during New Year's Eve, said they would vote against the amendments, stating that it "simplifies a bigger problem" and that it "won't help fight against crime".


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Campaign, Proponents
Governor Luis Fortuño and his party, New Progressive Party (PNP), campaigned in favor of the proposed amendments. Most of the leaders of the party support him and will campaign with him. Thomas Rivera Schatz, President of the Senate of Puerto Rico, asked voters to participate of the referendum and encouraged them to vote in favor of the amendments. Also, a group of chiefs of agencies made statements in favor of the amendments. The group, led by Chief of Staff Miguel Romero, included Guillermo Somoza (Justice), Yanitzia Irizarry (Family), Miguel Hernández Vivoni (Housing), Jesús F. Méndez (Treasury), Henry Neumann (Sports and Recreation), and Jesús González (Correction).


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Campaign, Proponents
Alejandro García Padilla, current senator and gubernatorial candidate for the opposing Popular Democratic Party (PPD), also expressed he would vote in favor of the amendments. His posture came as a surprise, since he voted against the resolution in the Senate of Puerto Rico. He said that "with the referendum already approved and in the absence of other legislative mechanisms like the ones we have proposed during this term to fight against crime, I express myself in favor of this amendment and I will vote accordingly." Former governors Sila María Calderón and Rafael Hernández Colón expressed themselves in favor of the amendments, along with other members of the party like Sila María González Calderón, Luis Raúl Torres Cruz, Jorge Colberg Toro, and others.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Campaign, Proponents
A group of judges, including Efraín Rivera Pérez, a former judge of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, and Héctor Laffitte, former federal judge, expressed themselves in favor of the amendments. Also, former two-time Superintendent of the Puerto Rico Police Department, Pedro Toledo, expressed himself in favor of the amendments. He added that some guidelines could be needed to allow judges to define the issue of the dangerousness of the accused.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Campaign, Proponents
Astrologer Walter Mercado said on a statement that he favored both amendments to the Constitution. He wrote that he considered the amendment on the right to bail to be an important tool on the fight against crime, and that it was "a step ahead in the control of the rising crime rate." He added that the amendment would "protect good and decent people from criminals that used their time on bail to threaten witnesses and commit more crimes."


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Campaign, Advertisements
The New Progressive Party (PNP) published advertisements in favor of the amendments using the pictures of two young men recently accused of murder. The pictures, taken after their arrests, show both men with their middle fingers to the camera. The advertisement reads "If you don't vote, they win". The mother of one of the men in the picture, Vilmarie Carrasquillo, presented a preliminary injunction to withdraw the advertisement, arguing that his son's right for privacy was violated. However, the San Juan Court determined that the PNP could continue using the advertisement. Two days before the referendum, the Supreme Court ratified the decision of the Court of San Juan allowing the PNP to continue with their campaign.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Opinion polls
A poll by local newspaper El Nuevo Día was published on August 12, 2012. The poll had the following results:


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Opinion polls
The poll, which was designed and analyzed by Kaagan Research Associates, included a sample of 1,000 people and could produce an error of ±3%.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Results
The first preliminary results were announced by the State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico at around 4:00. At around 6:25pm, Luis Fortuño's campaign director Angel Cintrón announced that there was a tendency against the amendments in the results so far. During a press conference, he said "It's not what we expected, it's different to our projections, and we have to accept it." However, he added that the results weren't definitive yet since there were still more than 50% of votes to count.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Results
Thomas Rivera Schatz, President of the Senate of Puerto Rico, also acknowledged the defeat saying that the amendments his party had proposed "weren't accepted and that people don't want to amend the Constitution". He added that there could have been some misinformation in the process. The results on the absolute bail bill means that "Puerto Rico remains the only place in the Western Hemisphere where everyone is entitled to bail regardless of the alleged crime."


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Results
The final results, according to the State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico, were:


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Aftermath
At 7:00pm, Governor Luis Fortuño held a press conference, along with Pedro Pierluisi, where he conceded the defeat of the "Yes" camp. In his message, he said that "this isn't about one party or one government" and assured those that supported him that they would keep on working "outside of party lines, so that everyone can be part of the solution". On the other hand, Senator and PPD gubernatorial candidate Alejandro García Padilla blamed Fortuño and Pierluisi for the loss during a press conference.


2012 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum, Aftermath
At the Puerto Rico Bar Association, groups that were against the amendments started celebrating the preliminary results. Former Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá celebrated the victory saying that "reason triumphed over fear and money". The PIP gubernatorial candidate Juan Dalmau Ramírez said that the defeat represented a "moral defeat" for both Fortuño and García Padilla.


2012 Puerto Rican general election
The 2012 Puerto Rican general elections were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 to elect the officials of the Puerto Rican government that would serve for the next four years, most notably the Governor of Puerto Rico. A status referendum was held on the same date.


2012 Puerto Rican general election
The election was won by then-Senator Alejandro García Padilla (from the Popular Democratic Party), who defeated incumbent Governor Luis Fortuño (from the New Progressive Party) in a close election. This election marked the second time in more than 40 years that six parties participated in the election, the first time in more than 60 years that a status referendum was held on the same day as the general election, and the first time in Puerto Rico that absentee ballots were issued for those who were out of the country on the day of the election. As of 2021, this is the most recent time a Republican won the governorship of Puerto Rico.


2012 Puerto Rican general election, Nominations
Before the election year, the Constitution of Puerto Rico provides for any qualified person to present their candidacy for a specific position. If two or more candidates from the same party present their candidacy for the same position, and they can't reach an agreement within the party, a primary election is held. This election is held within the inscribed members of each party, to select which of the candidates will represent the party in the general election.


2012 Puerto Rican general election, Nominations
Both of the main parties: New Progressive Party (PNP) and Popular Democratic Party (PPD), held primaries for several positions on March 18, 2012.


2012 Puerto Rican general election, Nominations, New Progressive Party (PNP)
The primaries were held on March 18, 2012 to determine several candidates for the Senate, House of Representatives, and others.


2012 Puerto Rican general election, Nominations, Popular Democratic Party (PPD)
The primaries were held on March 18, 2012 to determine several candidates for the Senate, House of Representatives, and others.


2012 Puerto Rican general election, Final candidates, Governor
The incumbent Governor, Luis Fortuño, from the New Progressive Party (PNP), faces the following candidates for the Governorship:


2012 Puerto Rican general election, Final candidates, Resident Commissioner
The incumbent Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico Pedro Pierluisi, from the New Progressive Party (PNP), faces the following candidates for the position:


2012 Puerto Rican general election, Final candidates, Senate of Puerto Rico, At-large
The ballot featured seventeen (17) candidates from six different parties and one independent candidate (bold denotes incumbent candidates)


2012 Puerto Rican general election, Final candidates, House of Representatives, At-large
The ballot featured sixteen (16) candidates from six different parties and one independent candidate (bold denotes incumbent candidates)


2012 Puerto Rican general election, Election results, Governor
The candidate from the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Alejandro García Padilla narrowly beat the incumbent Luis Fortuño, from the New Progressive Party (PNP). The margin of victory was 0.7% (or 11,049 votes) which would make it the second closest election in the island in the last 20 years. The candidates of the minority parties all received less than the required 3% to remain registered. Notably, Rogelio Figueroa (from the PPR) received only 6,508 (0.35%) after receiving 53,693 (2.76%) in the 2008 general elections.


2012 Puerto Rican general election, Election results, Resident Commissioner
The incumbent Pedro Pierluisi, from the New Progressive Party (PNP) defeated the candidate from the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), Rafael Cox Alomar. Pierluisi managed to be reelected, despite the fact that his ballot partner, Governor Fortuño, lost against the PPD candidate. This would be the second time in the last 10 years were the Governor and the Resident Commissioner come from different parties. The first one was after the 2004 elections where PPD candidate Aníbal Acevedo Vilá narrowly won the election, while Fortuño (PNP) was elected Resident Commissioner.


2012 Puerto Rican general election, Election results, Senate of Puerto Rico
The Popular Democratic Party (PPD) won a majority of seats in the Senate of Puerto Rico, with a total of 18 out of 27. The New Progressive Party (PNP) won a total of 8 seats, while the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) won one seat. The PPD won the majority after two terms of being a minority. The election of a senator from the PIP also comes after one term with no senator seated. The PPD won six of the Puerto Rico Senatorial districts. The PNP won only two districts, despite winning all eight during the previous election.


2012 Puerto Rican general election, Election results, Puerto Rico House of Representatives
The Popular Democratic Party (PPD) also won a majority of seats in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives, with a total of 28 out of 51. The New Progressive Party (PNP) won a total of 23 seats. The other minority parties won no seats. Like with the Senate, the PPD won the majority after two terms of being a minority.


2012 Puerto Rican general election, Election results, Mayoral
The Popular Democratic Party (PPD) won a majority of the mayoralty races in the island, with a total of 46 out of 78 municipalities. The New Progressive Party (PNP) won a total of 31. One of the most notable races featured PPD candidate Carmen Yulín Cruz defeating incumbent Jorge Santini (PNP) for the mayoralty of the capital city of San Juan after 12 years in the seat.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum
A referendum on the political status of Puerto Rico was held in Puerto Rico on November 6, 2012. It was the fourth referendum on status to be held in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has been an unincorporated territory of the United States since the Spanish–American War in 1898.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum
Puerto Rican voters were asked two questions: firstly whether they agreed to continue with Puerto Rico's territorial status and secondly to indicate the political status they preferred from three possibilities: statehood, independence, or a sovereign nation in free association with the United States. 970,910 (53.97%) voted "No" on the first question, expressing themselves against maintaining the current political status, and 828,077 (46.03%) voted "Yes", to maintain the current political status. Of those who answered on the second question 834,191 (61.16%) chose statehood, 454,768 (33.34%) chose free association, and 74,895 (5.49%) chose independence.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum
The governor-elect Alejandro García Padilla of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) and several other leaders who favor the present status had recommended voting "Yes" to the first question, and leaving the second question blank as a protest to what they said was "an anti-democratic process" and "a trap".


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum
Puerto Rico's nonvoting Resident Commissioner, Pedro Pierluisi, has said that he will "defend the people's decision" in Washington, D.C. He plans to introduce legislation in Congress to admit Puerto Rico to the Union. Although García Padilla questioned the validity of the results, he stated that he planned to go forward with what President Barack Obama had suggested, and convene a constituent assembly to resolve the status issue. Such an assembly was not ultimately held under García Padilla's governorship.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum
Previous referendums had been held on the island to decide on the political status of Puerto Rico, most recently in 1998.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Background
Puerto Rico has been an unincorporated territory of the United States since the end of the Spanish–American War in 1898. Although Puerto Ricans were granted United States citizenship with the 1917 Jones–Shafroth Act, they cannot vote for the President of the United States unless registered to vote in one of the United States. In addition, the US retains the exclusive right to create and manage foreign policy, including any that affects the island.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Background
In June 2011 the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization asked the United States to expedite the process for political status self-determination in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico, unlike several other U.S. territories such as Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, is not on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. As it is not a state, its citizens do not have the right to full representation in the U.S. Congress nor can they vote in presidential elections. On December 28, 2011, Governor Luis Fortuño authorized the referendum for November 6, 2012.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Background, Support
Most of the leadership of the New Progressive Party (PNP) vouched for a status referendum to be held. Governor Fortuño, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi, and Jorge Santini, the Mayor of San Juan, all supported holding a status referendum. Originally, they presented a bill which divided the process into two separate referendums: one in August to vote whether or not to continue with the current status, and a second one in November to choose among several alternatives to the current status. This process was approved in a General Assembly of the party in October 2011.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Background, Support
Jenniffer González, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, also supported the bill. In December 2011, the House approved the bill for a status referendum to be held in November 2012, along with the general elections. The day before the elections, González said the opportunity to vote for statehood was "historic".


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Background, Support
Juan Dalmau Ramírez, gubernatorial candidate for the Puerto Rico Independence Party (PIP), defended the participation of supporters of Puerto Rican independence in the status referendum. Dalmau said that Puerto Rico "had a problem, which was the cancer of colonialism which doesn't allow us to develop ourselves." He said that Puerto Ricans should take advantage of "every chance to overcome the colonial status" and criticized Alejandro García Padilla, President of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) for not supporting the process.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Background, Opposition
The status referendum has been criticized by some members of all political parties, including the New Progressive Party (PNP) that proposed it. Former Governor of Puerto Rico Pedro Rosselló (from the PNP) said that the choices in the ballot were confusing and might cause "an uncertainty that, in the end, will bring us more of the same: the status quo, continued." Another former governor from the PNP, Carlos Romero Barceló, argued that "the content and language of the formulas will confuse the voter."


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Background, Opposition
Former Governor of Puerto Rico Rafael Hernández Colón, from the PPD, argued that the project "doesn't follow the recommendations of the White House report on [Puerto Rico] in either its content or its date." He criticized the definition used for the Estado Libre Asociado, which is the current status and the one his party defends.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Background, Opposition
According to El Nuevo Día (December 13, 2011), Hernández Colón would advocate that they follow the seventh recommendation of the White House report, and "work from the island to go, together with the White House, to Congress with a bill, in order to press them to establish real status options for the citizens to vote [on]." Another member of the PPD, Senator Eduardo Bhatia, said that the status referendum was "a trick" and that the results would not have any value in Washington because it was an "illegitimate and badly designed ballot question."


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Background, Opposition
Some members of the minority parties agreed with the criticism. After a poll in a local newspaper presented contradicting results, Rogelio Figueroa, gubernatorial candidate and co-founder of the Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party (PPR), argued that the poll was proof the status referendum would not solve the status issue. He also said that the project was just a way for the two main parties to "perpetuate themselves". Other leaders from the Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS), Worker's People Party (PPT), and the Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano (MINH) considered the process to be just an excuse of the government to "push supporters of statehood to vote" with some of them calling the referendum a "deceit to voters."


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Background, Report by the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status
The Report by the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status recognizes that the authority under the U.S. Constitution to establish a permanent non-territorial status for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico rests with Congress. Although the current territorial status may continue so long as Congress desires, only two non-territorial options are recognized by the U.S. Constitution to establish a permanent status between the people of Puerto Rico and the Government of the United States.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Background, Report by the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status
The report said that the democratic will of the Puerto Rican people was paramount for the future status of the territory. It suggested any change should begin with an expression from the people of Puerto Rico on whether to maintain current territorial status or establish a permanent non-territorial status with regard to the United States. It recommended that the will of people be ascertained in a way to provide clear guidance for future action by Congress.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Background, Report by the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status
President George H. W. Bush issued a memorandum on November 30, 1992, to heads of executive departments and agencies, establishing the current administrative relationship between the federal government and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. This memorandum directs all federal departments, agencies, and officials to treat Puerto Rico administratively as if it were a state insofar as doing so would not disrupt federal programs or operations.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Background, Report by the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status
The December 2007 Report by the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status reiterated its prior 2005 recommendation that Congress provide for a federally sanctioned plebiscite in order that the people of Puerto Rico could express their wishes in relation to maintaining the current territorial status or to pursuing a constitutionally viable path toward a permanent non-territorial status. Congress should provide for this plebiscite to occur on a date certain.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Background, Report by the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status
On March 16, 2011, the President's Task Force on Political Status issued a third report which concluded that "(u)nder the Commonwealth option, Puerto Rico would remain, as it is today, subject to the Territory Clause of the U.S. Constitution." It said that proposals for enhanced Commonwealth were unconstitutional in relation to the U.S. Constitution. Such proposals had provisions that would not be enforceable because a future Congress "could choose to alter that relationship unilaterally."


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Background, Report by the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status
The Plebiscite was called by the elective representatives of the people of Puerto Rico on the options for the Island Status identified by the Task Force on Puerto Rico. The structure of the Plebiscite followed the findings and recommendations proposed by the March 2011 Task Force report.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Ballot
The referendum posed two questions. Voters were asked first whether they agreed that Puerto Rico should continue to have its present form of territorial status. Regardless of how voters answered that question, they were asked secondly, to express their preference among the three non-territorial alternatives:


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Ballot
The ballot descriptions for the second part of the question were:


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Ballot, Criticism
Critics said that voters who favor a developed version of the current status of Puerto Rico (a commonwealth which is part of the United States with internal self-government) had no alternatives on the ballot. As a result, leaders of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) instructed such voters to leave the second portion of the ballot blank, or to invalidate the ballot.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Ballot, Criticism
Because there were almost 500,000 blank ballots, creating confusion as to the voters' true desire, it provided Congress an opportunity to ignore the vote, which it did.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Ballot, Criticism
History professor Luis Agrait explained the result in this manner to CNN: "If you assume those blank votes are anti-statehood votes, the true result for the statehood option would be less than 50%." Considered as a percentage of the total number of votes cast in the first ballot, 44% voted in favor of statehood on the second ballot.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Results
In this election, 2,402,941 voters were registered to vote; of these, 1,864,186 voted, giving the plebiscite a 78% stake. In the second part of the ballot, 498,604 voters left ballots blank, and another 16,744 ballots were rejected, with votes not awarded. This was the tally of the final vote:


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Reactions and aftermath
Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi and outgoing Governor  Luis Fortuño have stated that they will present the results to the Obama administration and leaders of the United States Congress. President Obama had said that he would support the will of Puerto Ricans if there is a clear majority.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Reactions and aftermath
Governor-elect Alejandro García Padilla, who had been critical of the process, said that the consult was "unfair" and that it didn't offer clear results. He also said that "none of the options received most of the 50% within the emitted ballots," which included those from voters who did not choose any of the presented non-territorial options. Wilda Rodriguez, a freelance journalist and political analyst, said that the votes for the various "anti-statehood" alternatives cancelled each other out. She conducted a poll and found that 53.64% of the electorate do not support statehood. The analyst Néstor Duprey said that, although the premise that statehood won could be mathematically correct, the "blank ballots can't be ignored because they are the product of a political intention" —referring to the PPD's campaign for voters to leave the second question unanswered.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Reactions and aftermath
On November 8, 2012, the Washington, D.C. newspaper, The Hill, suggested that Congress will likely ignore the results of the referendum due to the circumstances behind the votes. U.S. Congressman Luis Gutiérrez and U.S. Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, both of Puerto Rican ancestry, agreed with the statements.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Reactions and aftermath
A few days after the referendum, Governor-elect Alejandro García Padilla wrote a letter to President Obama, asking him to reject the results because of their ambiguity. On November 13, 2012, both the Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi and the current Governor Luis Fortuño wrote separate letters to President Obama urging him to begin legislation in favor of resolving the political status of Puerto Rico, in light of the results of the referendum.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Reactions and aftermath
In early December, ad-lib comments by the White House spokesman were initially ambiguous. Hours later, Luis Miranda, the White House's Hispanic Affairs spokesman, told Puerto Rico's El Nuevo Día that the Obama administration thought a majority of Puerto Ricans voted for statehood and supported Congress taking action.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Reactions and aftermath
On December 11, 2012, the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico enacted a concurrent resolution to "request the President and the Congress of the United States, to respond diligently and effectively, and to act on the demand of the people of Puerto Rico, as freely and democratically expressed in the plebiscite held on November 6, 2012, to end, once and for all, its current form of territorial status and to begin the process of admission of Puerto Rico as a State."


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Reactions and aftermath
The PNP organized pro-statehood marches which were held on March 2, 2013 in both Puerto Rico and on the mainland demanding that the U.S. government honor the results of the referendum. Hundreds of people participated in the pro-statehood marches which took place in San Juan, Orlando, and Washington DC on the 96th anniversary of the Jones Act, the 1917 law which gave Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Reactions and aftermath
On April 10, 2013, it was announced that the White House would seek $2.5 million to hold another referendum as part of Obama's 2014 budget proposal (the money would fund both voter education and the plebiscite itself). This next referendum would be the first Puerto Rican status referendum to be financed by the federal government. Leaders of the PNP (party in favor of statehood) claimed that the announcement meant that the White House upheld the results of the 2012 referendum, while the PDP (party in favor of maintaining the status quo) claimed that the announcement meant the White House rejected the 2012 referendum.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Reactions and aftermath
On May 15, 2013, non-voting Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi introduced the Puerto Rico Status Resolution Act () to the House of Representatives, which if passed would ask Puerto Rican voters if they want Puerto Rico to be admitted as a state of the United States. If the Puerto Rican people support statehood, the bill would direct the president to introduce legislation within 180 days to admit Puerto Rico as a state of the union. Pierluisi said that his bill is "distinct" but "consistent" with the White House's proposal for a Puerto Rican vote.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Reactions and aftermath
On June 17, 2013, Pierluisi said during a testimony before the U.N. Special Committee on Decolonization that if the Obama administration refuses to act he will raise his case for Puerto Rican self-determination before the United Nations or any other appropriate international forum. Pierluisi said that the current territorial status has lost its democratic legitimacy and that the only paths forward are statehood or nationhood.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Reactions and aftermath
On July 10, 2013, A U.S. House subcommittee approved a budget bill which includes Obama's requested $2.5 million for a new Puerto Rican plebiscite, though the bill's ultimate fate is unclear because the Senate is pushing for a related yet different bill. One week later, on July 17, 2013, the House Appropriations Committee also approved the bill.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Reactions and aftermath
It was reported on July 10, 2013, that Pierluisi had secured the support of at least 87 members of Congress across partisan lines for the Puerto Rico Status Resolution Act. It was reported on July 24, 2013, that this number has increased to an even 100 congressional supporters. On August 6, 2013, reports put bill sponsorship at 120 members, giving it more supporters than 97.6% of all House bills and the fourth highest in Republican sponsorship.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Reactions and aftermath
On August 1, 2013, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on Puerto Rico's status as a direct result of the 2012 plebiscite vote and invited Governor Alejandro García Padilla, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi, and pro-independence supporter Rubén Berríos to give testimony and answer questions from the committee.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Reactions and aftermath
The 2014 budget bill included $2.5 million in funding for a future vote in Puerto Rico's political status. This referendum could be held at any time, as there was no deadline attached to the funds.


2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, Reactions and aftermath
The Puerto Rican status referendum, 2017 was held on June 11, 2017 with 97% voting for statehood amid historically low turnout.


2012 Puerto Rico Islanders season
The 2012 season was the Puerto Rico Islanders ninth season over all and their second season in the North American Soccer League. This article shows player statistics and all matches that the club have and will play during the 2012 season.


2012 Puerto Rico Islanders season, Match results, CFU Club Championship, Group 4
Matches played at the Cayman Islands (host club: George Town).


2012 Puerto Rico Islanders season, Final round
In the semifinals, the two second-round group winners play against the runners-up from the opposite group. The semifinal winners play in the final while the losers play in the third place match.


2012 Puerto Rico Islanders season, Final round, Third place match
The champion, runner-up, and third place qualify for the Group Stage of the 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League.


2012 Puerto Rico Republican presidential primary
The 2012 Puerto Rico Republican presidential primary took place on March 18, 2012.


2012 Puerto Rico Republican presidential primary
On January 18, 2012, Secretary of State Kenneth McClintock announced that seven candidates, including Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul and Rick Perry (who has since withdrawn and endorsed Gingrich) would be eligible to appear on the March 18 ballot unless they notified McClintock by February 17 of their desire not to compete in Puerto Rico. If a candidate received a majority of the votes, then the primary was to be winner-take-all, but if no candidate met the 50% threshold, its 20 delegates were to be divided proportionally.


2012 Puerto Rico Republican presidential primary
On February 20, 2012, the Republican Party of Puerto Rico announced the six candidate names and their order on the ballot for the island's March 18 presidential primary.


2012 Puerto Rico Republican presidential primary, Controversies, Santorum remarks about use of English in Puerto Rico
In 2012 U.S. presidential candidate Rick Santorum was criticized during the runup to the Puerto Rican Republican primary for stating that if Puerto Rico opted to become a state, it would have to make English its primary language. As The New York Times reported: