How the Referendum Turnout Threshold Works

Why turnout matters

A referendum is not simply a contest among those who happened to vote. Because it concerns the whole country, participation itself becomes part of the legitimacy of the result.

That is why a minimum turnout requirement is important. It helps to:

• strengthen the legitimacy of the result
• prevent major state decisions from being made on the basis of very low participation
• show that the outcome reflects meaningful public involvement

How the threshold works

If the legally required level of turnout is not reached, then:

• voting may still have taken place
• but the legal result may be considered insufficient
• and the proposed decision may fail to take effect

Why this is especially important for constitutional questions

Constitutional questions should not normally be decided by a tiny and accidental portion of the electorate. A turnout requirement helps ensure that a constitutional decision is backed by broad civic participation.

Is turnout alone enough

No. Usually, two elements matter:

1. A sufficient number of voters must participate.
2. A sufficient majority must support one option.

So both participation and support matter.

Historical and final figures

• 1995 – turnout 90%
• 2022 – turnout 68%
• 2026 – final turnout was 73.12%, so the participation threshold was met

Practical meaning

A turnout threshold encourages citizens not to treat participation as irrelevant. In a referendum, choosing not to participate can affect whether the entire process reaches legal effectiveness.