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A referendum was held in the breakaway republic of Transnistria on 6 April 2003. Voters were asked to support a change in the country's constitution that would allow the private ownership of land. Turnout was 38.92%, falling short of the 50% required by Transnistrian law for the referendum to be valid. Of the participating voters, 56% voted in favour and 44% against. [1]
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
 No | 65,616 | 44.00 |
| Yes | 83,509 | 56.00 |
| Valid votes | 149,125 | 97.38 |
| Invalid or blank votes | 4,015 | 2.62 |
| Total votes | 153,140 | 100.00 |
| Turnout required | 50.00 | |
| Registered voters/turnout | 393,432 | 38.92 |
A referendum is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a new policy or specific law, or the referendum may be only advisory. In some countries, it is synonymous with and also known as plebiscite, votation,popular consultation, ballot question, ballot measure, or proposition.
Since the introduction of parliamentarism in Sweden, six national referendums have been held. Legal provisions for referendums were introduced in 1922, one year after the adoption of universal suffrage. The Constitution of Sweden provides for binding referendums, but all referendums held as of 2012 have been non-binding. The latest referendum, on adopting the euro, was held on 14 September 2003.
A nationwide consultative referendum (全國性公民投票) was held in Taiwan on 20 March 2004 to coincide with the 2004 presidential election. Voters were asked two questions regarding the relationship between Taiwan (ROC) and China (PRC), and how Taiwan should relate to China. The initiation of this referendum by President Chen Shui-bian came under intense criticism from China because it was seen as an exercise for an eventual vote on Taiwanese independence. The Pan-Blue Coalition urged a boycott, citing that the referendum was illegal and unnecessary.
Referendums in the United Kingdom are occasionally held at a national, regional or local level. Historically, national referendums are rare due to the long-standing principle of parliamentary sovereignty. There is no constitutional requirement to hold a national referendum for any purpose or on any issue; the UK Parliament is free to legislate through an Act of Parliament for a referendum to be held on any question at any time, but these cannot be constitutionally binding on either the Government or Parliament, although they usually have a persuasive political effect.
Latvia elects on the national level a legislature. The Saeima has 100 members, elected for a four-year term by proportional representation with a 5% threshold. An unmodified Sainte-Laguë method is used to allocate seats. The parliamentary elections are held on the first Saturday of October. Locally, Latvia elects municipal councils, consisting of 7 to 60 members, depending on the size of the municipality, also by proportional representation for a four-year term.
This is a list of referendums related to the European Union, or referendums related to the European Communities, which were predecessors of the European Union. Since 1972, a total of 48 referendums have been held by EU member states, candidate states, and their territories, with several additional referendums held in countries outside the EU. The referendums have been held most commonly on the subject of whether to become a member of European Union as part of the accession process, although the EU does not require any candidate country to hold a referendum to approve membership or as part of treaty ratification. Other EU-related referendums have been held on the adoption of the euro and on participation in other EU-related policies.
Romania elects on a national level a head of state – the president – and a legislature. The president is elected for a five-year term by the people. The Romanian Parliament has two chambers. The Chamber of Deputies has currently 330 members, elected for a four-year term by party-list proportional representation on closed lists. The Senate has currently 136 members, elected for a four-year term by party-list proportional representation on closed lists.
Referendums have been held in Australia to approve parliament-proposed changes to the Constitution of Australia or to the constitutions of states and territories.
There have been several referendums in the history of Poland.
There have been twelve referendums in Lithuania since it declared independence from the Soviet Union on March 11, 1990. Because of strict requirements only four referendums were successful. Older Lithuanian laws required that more than a half of all registered voters would vote in support of a proposal for it to become a binding obligation to the government. In 2002, this requirement was lowered to one third of all registered voters.
Referendums in Transnistria, according to the Transnistrian Constitution, are one of the lawful forms of expression of people's will.
A referendum on the Matignon Accords on New Caledonia was held in France on 6 November 1988. The accords were approved by 80% of voters, although turnout was just 36.9%. In New Caledonia it was approved by 57% of voters.
A non-binding referendum on the Single European Act was held in Denmark on 27 February 1986. It was approved by 56.2% of voters, with a voter participation of 75.4%.
The Yellowknife City Council is the governing body of the city of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. The council consists of a mayor and eight councillors originally elected to three year terms, but after a referendum in 2018 this has now been changed to four year terms.
The 2003 Lithuanian European Union referendum took place from 10 May to 11 May 2003 to decide whether Lithuania should join the European Union (EU). Over 90% of those who voted supported membership and Lithuania joined the EU on 1 May 2004.
A referendum on joining the European Union was held in Hungary on 12 April 2003. The proposal was approved by 83.8% of voters, with a voter turnout of 45.6%. Hungary subsequently joined the EU on 1 May 2004.
A referendum on the voting system was held in San Marino on 3 August 2003. The proposed change would have reduced the number of preferential votes from three to one. Although it was approved by 80.72% of voters, the number voting in favour (8,755) did not pass the required quorum of 32% of all registered voters (10,105).
A referendum on autonomy was held in Guadeloupe on 7 December 2003. Voters were asked whether they wanted the island to become a territorial collectivity, which would have given the regional government more autonomy. The proposal was rejected by 73% of voters.
A constitutional referendum was held in Kyrgyzstan on 11 December 2016. The constitutional amendments were approved by around 80% of voters.
 Elections and referendums in Transnistria | |
|---|---|
| Presidential elections | |
| Parliamentary elections | |
| Municipal elections | |
| Referendums | |
See also: Elections and referendums in Moldova and in Gagauzia | |
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