Crimea Referendum Turnout at 44.27% in 4 hours

The turnout in the referendum on whether Crimea should remain a part of Ukraine or separate from it reached 44.27 % Sunday noon local time.

According to the chief of the Crimean legislature's commission for holding the referendum, Mikhail Malyshev, as cited by ITAR-TASS, the highest turnout rates so far were registered in Kerch - 64.3 %, and in Armyansk, 73.1 %.

Malyshev informed that all of the 1205 polling stations in Crimea had opened and were functioning normally.

The referendum proceeds calmly without any violations.

Around 1.5 million people are eligible to vote.

Voters will be able to cast ballots till 8pm local time.