Crimean referendum commission official has announced the end of voting and said no complaints had been filed about voting procedures or suggesting foul play.
"The electoral commissions have not received any complaints; neither individual nor district commissions or the central referendum commission. Currently, district commissions have begun to count the results of the referendum. I hereby declare the referendum valid." Mikhail Malyshev, head of Crimean Referendum Commission, said.
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| A Crimean man makes the victory sign as he celebrates in Simferopol's Lenin Square. |
Malyshev said the district commissions have begun to count the results of the referendum. He added that with 50 percent of votes already tallied, more than 95 percent are in favor of joining Russia. Final results of the 12-hour vote are expected to come out overnight, with a possible official announcement some time on Monday.
Earlier, the commission put the the final turnout rate at nearly 83 percent, with 1.5 million registered voters casting their ballots.
