[Nikita]

A referendum on the future of the Soviet Union was held on 17 March 1991. The question put to voters was

Do you consider necessary the preservation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics in which the rights and freedom of an individual of any nationality will be fully guaranteed?[1]

In Kazakhstan the wording of the referendum was changed by substituting "equal sovereign states" for "equal sovereign republics."[2]

Although the vote was boycotted in Armenia, Estonia, Georgia (though not the breakaway province of Abkhazia, where the result was over 98% in favour[3], and in South Ossetia[4]), Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova (though not Transnistria or Gagauzia),[5] turnout was 80% across the USSR.[2] The referendum was approved by at least 70% of voters in all nine other republics that took part. It was the first, and only referendum in the history of the Soviet Union.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Uni ... ndum,_1991

Results per republic are in the link. Is anyone else surprised by the high turnout and 70%+ vote for preservation of the Soviet Union?

[Thunderhawk]

The turn out does not suprise me - such things are rare, and rare things are valued/feared, so a large turn out happening does make sense IMO. I suspect that many of the people in the smaller states got more out of the union then they put in so their desire to keep it together isnt surprising either. I am under the impression the central asian Republics are populated by people more connected to their tribe/ethnicities rather then the republic/state, so for many of them a ruler not from their tribe far away in Moscow is just as bad as a ruler from the neighbouring tribe locally rulling.



I am however suprised over the Latvian and Estonian approval. I would have thought there would have been more desire for the USSR to dissolve considering the huge participation in the Baltic way.

[peter_co]

I am however suprised over the Latvian and Estonian approval. I would have thought there would have been more desire for the USSR to dissolve considering the huge participation in the Baltic way.

What do you mean? The OP does mention that the voting was boycotted in the Baltic Republics. Virtually the entire native populations of those republics favored independence from the USSR (or the end of the Soviet occupation as they saw it).

[Thunderhawk]

The OP links to a wikipedia article. In the article it mentions the boycott, but then gives stats for turnout in some of the republics that boycotted the referendum:

Republic Turnout Yes
...
Latvian SSR 65,1 95,1
Estonian SSR 74,2 95,0

[JohnRawls]

Fake ... The turnout in estonia was high but the vote was 39% Yes and 61% no .

61% were against the union .

[peter_co]

The OP links to a wikipedia article. In the article it mentions the boycott, but then gives stats for turnout in some of the republics that boycotted the referendum:

No, look carefully at the title:

Results in the republics where central electoral commissions weren't created (results are given for the constituencies where referendum was held).

In effect, voting only took place in a few districts, where probably only national minorities participated and essentially all voted in favor of the USSR.

Fake ... The turnout in estonia was high but the vote was 39% Yes and 61% no .

I believe that was the Estonian Independence Referendum, organized by Estonia, which is a different matter from this.

[Thunderhawk]

In effect, voting only took place in a few districts, where probably only national minorities participated and essentially all voted in favor of the USSR.

I had assumed so - but the constituencies arent listed while the republic is.
Bad format.