Turnout for Kazakhstan's constitutional referendum nearly 70%

NUR SULTAN, Kazakhstan

The voter turnout on Sunday for Kazakhstan's constitutional referendum reached 68%.

Polling stations across the country closed at 8.00 p.m. local time (1400GMT) and at 9.00 p.m. local time in western parts of the country, with over 11.7 million voters eligible to cast a ballot.

More than 8.3 million people voted in the referendum, according to an election body official.

Preliminary results are expected to be announced at midnight.

The referendum is aimed at amending one-third of the current constitution, which was accepted by popular vote on Aug. 30, 1995.

The constitutional reform, which was promoted to the nation by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on March 16, intends to introduce a new governance model to the country.

The reform is part of a drive for a “New Kazakhstan” which marks the transition to a new state model called the Second Republic.