Exit poll

The failure of most public opinion polls in the runup to Sunday’s local elections to effectively predict the outcome, as well as the mistakes seen in the initial exit poll regarding who was ahead and where, have deepened citizens’ skepticism toward what they see as just another part of the country’s flawed political system.

Around 93% of voters in Sunday's referendum in Crimea have backed joining Russia and seceding from Ukraine, according to exit polls quoted by Russian news agencies.