UPDATE: While earlier exit polls indicated strong support, the preliminary results are now being announced:
- *CRIMEA TO JOIN RUSSIA BACKED BY 95.5%: PRELIMINARY RESULTS
- *CRIMEA TO REMAIN IN UKRAINE BACKED BY 3.5%: PRELIMINARY RESULTS
Crimea will apply tomorrow to join Russia:
Crimea's regional government will make a formal application today to join the Russian Federation, the local pro-Moscow leader said on Twitter after a disputed referendum to break away from Ukraine."The Supreme Soviet of Crimea will make an official application for the republic to join the Russian Federation at a meeting on March 17," Sergiy Aksyonov said in a tweet.
The celebrations are widespread throughout Crimea:
Putin and Obama have spoken:
- *PUTIN SPOKE TO OBAMA BY PHONE, KREMLIN WEBSITE SAYS
- *KREMLIN SAYS PUTIN-OBAMA CALL INITIATED BY U.S. SIDE
- *PUTIN TOLD OBAMA KIEV REGIME UNABLE TO CURB ULTRANATIONALSTS
- *PUTIN TOLD OBAMA CRIMEA VOTE FULLY MET INTERNATIONAL NORMS
- *PUTIN SAID NEED TO JOINTLY SEEK SOLUTION FOR STABLE UKRAINE
And then this:
- *KREMLIN SAYS OBAMA CONGRATULATED PUTIN ON SOCHI PARALYMPICS
With a voter turnout (79.09%) that exceeded every US Presidential election since 1900, the people of Crimea have spoken:
- *CRIMEA JOINING RUSSIA BACKED BY 93% OF VOTERS: EXIT POLL
- *U.K. FOREIGN SECRETARY: U.K. WON'T RECOGNIZE CRIMEAN REFERENDUM
Ukraine's leaders have called up 20,000 men for a newly-created National Guard as despite the so-called "truce" Russian APCs and Tanks are rolling. Pro-Russian supporters are burning books in Donetsk after storming anti-Russian buildings. TheWhite House is already out rejecting the vote (before the final results are released).
Voter Turnout (by region):
As exit polls confirm overhwleming support for Crimea to join Russia...
- Exit poll by Crimea-based Republican Institute for Political and Sociological Studies released by Kryminform news service.
- 93% of voters back joining Russia: exit poll
Credit to Zero Hedge