2026 Referendum: More than 50% of voters cast ballots
Preliminary voter turnout in the referendum on the adoption of the draft of new Constitution has exceeded 50%, Qazinform News Agency reports.
As of 14:00 Astana time, 6,471,378 citizens had received their ballot papers, representing 51.93% of those included in the voter list, Secretary of the Central Referendum Commission Shavkhat Utemisov said.
Voter turnout by regions as of 14:00 Astana time:
1. Abai region - 61,04%
2. Akmola region - 60,05%
3. Aktobe region - 61,37%
4. Almaty region - 56,13%
5. Atyrau region - 56,54%
6. West Kazakhstan region - 49,97%
7. Zhambyl region - 51,13%
8. Zhetysu region - 59,82%
9. Karaganda region - 57,32%
10. Kostanay region - 56,51%
11. Kyzylorda region - 64,63%
12. Mangystau region - 53,14%
13. Pavlodar region - 53,31%
14. North Kazakhstan region - 52,37%
15. Turkistan region - 58,03%
16. Ulytau region - 52,06%
17. East Kazakhstan region - 59,60%
18. Astana region - 40,68%
19. Almaty - 21,68%
20. Shymkent - 58,24%
Thus, by 14:00, more than half of the citizens eligible to vote in the referendum had cast their ballots.
A total of 12,461,796 citizens across the country are eligible to vote.
“In accordance with Article 31, paragraph 2 of the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan ‘On the Republican Referendum’, the referendum is considered valid if more than half of the citizens eligible to participate in the referendum have cast their votes,” said the Commission Secretary.
The next updated data on voter turnout will be released at 16:00 Astana time.
At 7:00 a.m. Astana time, all referendum polling stations across Kazakhstan opened their doors. 10,388 stations are operating on referendum day, including 71 polling stations established at Kazakhstan’s foreign missions in 54 countries.
The ballot includes one question: “Do you accept the new Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the draft of which was published in the mass media on February 12, 2026?”
359 international observers are monitoring the referendum, 185 foreign journalists from 31 countries have been accredited to cover the voting process.
By 10:00 am, 19.21% of citizens included on the voter lists, or 2,393,844 people, had received ballots.
