Romania Referendum: Constitutional Ban on Same Sex-marriage Fails due to Low Turnout

A referendum to change Romania's constitution to stop same-sex couples from securing the right to marry has failed after it did not attract enough voters to validate the result. 

The two-day vote aimed to change the constitution to define marriage strictly as between a man and a woman. 

Religiously conservative Romania, which decriminalised homosexuality in 2001 decades after neighbouring countries, bars marriage and civil partnerships for same-sex couples.

Data from the national election bureau showed voter turnout stood at 20.4 per cent when the polls closed, below the 30 per cent required for it to be valid.

Civil society group Coalition for the Family secured 3 million signatures to trigger the vote aimed at preventing gay couples winning the right to marry in the future.

The Coalition received backing from the Orthodox Church and other religions as well as all but one parliamentary party.