NOUMEA, New Caledonia – News of the referendum on the independence of New Caledonia (all times local):

21:30.

The New Caledonian voters support the vote "no" against the independence of France with more than half of the votes now in the referendum on its future.

The Office of the French High Commissioner for the South Pacific Territory stated that the "no" camp against independence accounted for nearly 64% of the 80,990 votes counted up to now.

A total of 174,000 people were registered for Sunday's vote.

The Pacific archipelago became French in 1853, but the Kanak people, native to the region, were subjected to serious discrimination under colonial rule. New Caledonia now receives about 1.3 billion euros in subsidies each year from the French state and many fear that its economy will suffer if the links are broken.

___

8:40 p.m.

The participation rate in the referendum on the independence of New Caledonia was so high that some polling stations had to stay open later than expected.

The Office of the High Commissioner of the French territory in the South Pacific indicates that some polling stations in Nouméa, the capital, closed Sunday evening about an hour because of the large number of people waiting for the vote at the time of planned closure.

Earlier, the commissioner had estimated that about three quarters of registered voters in the South Pacific archipelago had voted.

Anne-Marie-Mestre, a member of a committee that oversaw the referendum campaign, said the high voter turnout reinforced the legitimacy of the vote on the opportunity to free oneself from France.

She said: "No one will question the representativeness and sincerity of the vote, and all age groups were represented and mobilized."

___

8:05 p.m.

The results of the referendum on independence in New Caledonia have proved their worth: a village of about 600 inhabitants was the first to declare, voting overwhelmingly against a split of France.

The High Commissioner of New Caledonia tweeted that Farino, on the main island of the territory, had voted 9 to 1 against independence and that nearly 95% of the registered voters of the village had voted.

More comprehensive results in much more densely populated areas are expected later Sunday.

An exceptional number of voters decided to decide whether the French territory of the South Pacific should free itself from the European country that claimed it in 1853.

___

19h

An exceptional number of voters decided to decide whether the French South Pacific Territory of New Caledonia should liberate itself from the European country that claimed it in the mid-nineteenth century.

The high commissioner of the territory estimated that nearly three-quarters of registered voters in the territory voted one hour before the closing of polls Sunday night, a much higher turnout than in the 2014 provincial elections. New Caledonia.

The results were expected later Sunday. From Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron was to talk about the future of the territory and his choice in a televised speech.

The independence vote marked an important milestone for the 270,000-strong island archipelago located in eastern Australia, with sun-drenched lagoons and a mining industry for nickel.

The archipelago became French in 1853 under the Emperor Napoleon III.