Kazakhstanis talked about their motivation to vote in the referendum

On March 15, residents of Kazakhstan who came to the referendum on the adoption of the new constitution shared with Izvestia correspondent Roman Polshakov the reasons for their participation in the vote.

Professional fighter Vasily Takhtai noted that he considers participation in the referendum to be the responsibility of every citizen.

"I have made my choice, which will directly affect the fate of our country in the future," he stressed.

Another voter, Zhanna Malikova, also pointed out the importance of showing a civic position, noting the need to update legislation and simplify the state system in the current political situation.

"I believe that it is everyone's duty to show their citizenship," she said.

International observer Ramil Hassan said that at the moment no violations have been identified — people are actively participating in the voting. The referendum in Kazakhstan has been recognized as having taken place.

According to the secretary of the Central Commission of the Referendum, Shavkhat Utemisov, by 12:00 Moscow time, the turnout was 51.93%, with the required threshold of 50%. More than 6.47 million citizens received ballots.

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has already voted in a referendum on the new constitution of the republic. The Head of state came to the polling station in the Schoolchildren's Palace in Astana. After the vote, he held a briefing for journalists, where he stressed the crucial importance of the referendum for the future development of the country.

The turnout for voting on the constitutional amendment in Kazakhstan in the first three hours was 19.21%. The lowest turnout was recorded in Alma Ata and amounted to 9.54%, while the highest was in the Karaganda region, where 26.64% of voters voted.

The text of the new constitution of Kazakhstan was published on February 12 for citizens' review in the newspaper Egemen Kazakstan. It was noted that if the new basic law is adopted, it will enter into force on July 1, 2026.

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