UPDATE1/ BEC- voter turnout in referendum: By 15:00hrs, 22.78pct of electors cast their vote

The voter turnout across the country in the referendum convened by President Klaus Iohannis stood at 22.78 percent on Sunday, until 15:00hrs, according to the data registered on the website of the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC). The total number of electors was 4,170,838, out of whom 2,512,524 electors in the urban area and 1,658,314 in the rural area. According to the BEC, 25.26 percent of the electors cast their vote in Bucharest. In District 1 - 29.48pct; in District 2 - 25.42pct; in District 3 - 22.31pct; in District 4 - 25.88pct; in District 5 - 22.88pct, and in District 6 - 27.60pct. Higher turnout was reported in the following counties: Cluj - 29.92pct of the total number of electors on the rolls; Sibiu - 29.65pct; Ilfov - 29.47pct. Lower turnout was reported in the following counties: Vaslui - 16.36pct; Teleorman - 16.83pct and Mehedinti - 17.24pct. According to BEC data, the voter turnout in the referendum by 15,00hrs, by county was: * Alba - 25.55pct * Arad - 21.76pct * Arges - 22.50pct * Bacau - 23.24pct * Bihor - 24.27pct * Bistrita-Nasaud - 22.59pct * Botosani - 18.24pct * Brasov - 27.90pct * Braila - 20.50pct * Buzau - 20.42pct * Caras-Severin - 18.93pct * Calarasi - 18.47pct * Cluj - 29.92pct * Constanta - 26.30pct * Covasna - 22.11pct * Dambovita - 23.19pct * Dolj - 18.39pct * Galati - 20.02pct * Giurgiu - 19.34pct * Gorj - 19.93pct * Harghita - 25.73pct * Hunedoara - 22.29pct * Ialomita - 17.54pct * Iasi - 22.36pct * Ilfov - 29.47pct * Maramures - 21.20pct * Mehedinti - 17.24pct * Mures - 23.97pct * Neamt - 22.30pct * Olt - 17.47pct * Prahova - 25.46pct * Satu Mare - 19.87pct * Salaj - 24.70pct * Sibiu - 29.65pct * Suceava - 20.61pct * Teleorman - 16.83pct * Timis - 25.06pct * Tulcea - 22.22pct * Vaslui - 16.36pct * Valcea - 21.63pct * Vrancea - 22.49pct A number of 150,688 electors voted abroad. The data is posted in real time on the BEC website. AGERPRES (RO - author: Eusebi Manolache, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Rodica State, editor: Adina Panaitescu)