# What changed after the new Constitution was adopted?

> On 15 March 2026, citizens of Kazakhstan approved the new Constitution in a referendum. Key constitutional laws were signed on June 5, the Constitution took effect on July 1, and on the same day the decree calling Kurultai elections was signed. Kurultai deputy elections are scheduled for August 23, 2026.

Canonical URL: https://constitution.my/p/what-changed-after-vote?lang=en
Language: en
Updated: 2026-07-26

Section: After the Referendum

## Key Points
After the referendum of March 15, 2026, the constitutional reform moved from drafting to implementation. It is now important to distinguish between what has already been signed, what has been in force since July 1, and what still awaits a separate decree or organisational step.

## What Has Already Happened
- On **June 5, 2026**, the signed constitutional laws on the President, the Kurultai, and the Kazakhstan People's Council were published.
- The basic model of the new institutions is already fixed in the official texts.
- The Constitution entered into force on July 1, while the institutional transition continues until the new bodies are formed.

## What Has Been in Force Since July 1, 2026
- The new Constitution became the Basic Law of the country.
- The 1995 Constitution ceased to apply.
- New constitutional guarantees are in force, including the reduction of detention without court to 48 hours. Citizen applications to the Constitutional Court have been accepted since January 1, 2023; the new Constitution preserves that mechanism.

## What Is Expected Next
- On **July 1, 2026**, the President signed the decree calling Kurultai elections.
- The first elections to the unicameral Kurultai are scheduled for **August 23, 2026**.
- The appointment of the Vice President depends on the formation of the Kurultai and its consent to the nominee.
- The law on the Kazakhstan People's Council has been in force since July 1, and its Secretariat was created on July 2. No separate official date for approving the membership or holding the first session has yet been published.

## Facts
- March 15, 2026 – referendum and adoption of the new Constitution
- June 5, 2026 – key constitutional laws signed
- July 1, 2026 – Constitution entered into force
- August 23, 2026 – Kurultai deputy elections
- July 2, 2026 – Secretariat of the Kazakhstan People's Council created; the first-session date has not yet been published

## Checked sources

- [Preliminary official results of the March 15, 2026 national referendum](https://election.gov.kz/rus/news/releases/index.php?ID=10110) – Central Referendum Commission of Kazakhstan (checked 2026-07-16)
- [Official publication of the 2026 Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan](https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/K2600000000) – Adilet Legal Information System (checked 2026-07-16)
- [Decree establishing the Secretariat of the Kazakhstan People's Council](https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/U2600001343) – Adilet Legal Information System (checked 2026-07-16)
- [Decree calling the Kurultai election for August 23, 2026](https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/U2600001338) – Adilet Legal Information System (checked 2026-07-16)

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Source: https://constitution.my/p/what-changed-after-vote?lang=en
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