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BUCHAREST, Romania – Romania's vote on changing the definition of marriage (local time):
9:45 p.m.
Election officials in Romania said that too few voters participated in a referendum held this weekend to ban same-sex marriage in the country's constitution, so the vote is canceled.
The central poll office announced Sunday after the polls closed that 20.41 percent of registered voters had voted on the proposed amendment. The referendum needed at least 30% turnout to be valid.
The failure of the amendment would have changed the definition of the family in the Constitution of Romania, which aims to make marriage a union between a man and a woman and not between "spouses". Marriage between people of the same sex is already illegal in Romania.
Opponents had encouraged voters to boycott the referendum. The Romanian Orthodox Church supported the revision of the constitution.
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8:10 p.m.
Polling stations closed in Romania after two days of voting on a constitutional amendment that would make it more difficult to legalize same-sex marriage.
But the weekend referendum to redefine the wedding has failed to attract a large number of voters and risk being canceled.
Electoral authorities said the voter turnout was just under 19% two hours before polls closed Sunday. The referendum requires a turnout of 30% to be valid.
The proposed amendment would change the definition of the family in the Romanian Constitution to make marriage a union between a man and a woman rather than between "spouses".
Same-sex marriage is already illegal in Romania. The last turnout is expected later Sunday and the first results on Monday.
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7:40 p.m.
The referendum in Romania on a constitutional amendment to redefine marriage fails to attract significant voter turnout and risks being canceled.
Election officials said 18.87 percent of eligible voters voted two hours before the polls closed on Sunday. The open referendum Saturday needs a turnout of at least 30% to be worthwhile.
If the participation threshold is reached, the referendum to amend the Romanian Constitution to state that marriage is a union between a man and a woman and not a union between "spouses" requires a simple majority.
The revision would make it more difficult to legalize same-sex marriages, which are already prohibited by law in Romania.
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5:45 p.m.
Election officials in Romania said that 15.21 percent of eligible voters voted Sunday in the afternoon of the referendum held in the country on changing the definition of marriage.
The referendum requires an electoral turnout of at least 30% to be valid. If this participation threshold is reached, the referendum to amend the Romanian Constitution requires a simple majority.
The Conservative Family Coalition, which has organized a referendum to redefine marriage in the Romanian Constitution and makes it more difficult to legalize same-sex marriages, attributes "disinformation" to low turnout.
The coalition launched the referendum with a petition for signature. Passage would change the constitution to say that marriage is a union between a man and a woman rather than a union between "two spouses".
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4:15 p.m.
The conservative group that organized a referendum to redefine marriage in the Romanian Constitution and make it more difficult to legalize same-sex marriages blames "misinformation" for its low turnout.
Sunday at noon, the turnout was 11.67%. The referendum requires at least 30% participation to be valid.
The Coalition for the Family said in a statement that a "massive disinformation campaign" of the media, politicians and local governments was responsible for the low voter turnout.
She alleged "a general boycott by all political parties" which "was mainly directed against the Christians of Romania".
The coalition launched the referendum with a petition for signature. Passage would change the constitution to say that marriage is a union between a man and a woman rather than a union between "two spouses".
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15:30.
The head of the Romanian Orthodox Church urges members of the religion to vote in a referendum that would make it more difficult to legalize same-sex marriage, if it succeeds.
The church's news agency said Patriarch Daniel had called on Romanians who had not voted Sunday to "vote before it was too late."
The referendum would amend the Romanian Constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, instead of a union between two spouses.
A participation rate of 30% is necessary for the referendum to be valid. The participation rate was 11.67% Sunday noon.
Another important religious leader, the Metropolitan Teofan of Moldova and Bucovina, told the Romanian national news agency Agerpres, the Romanians "deserved their fate" if the amendment failed.
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1:55 p.m.
The Romanian Central Electoral Bureau said 11.67 percent of voters voted Sunday in a two-day referendum held on Sunday at noon on changing the definition of marriage.
The vote requires a 30% participation to be valid.
The proposed amendment would change the definition of family in the Romanian Constitution to make marriage a union between a man and a woman rather than between "spouses". Marriage between people of the same sex is already illegal in Romania.
The Conservative Coalition for the Family launched the referendum and the Romanian Orthodox priests at the Sunday services encouraged the faithful to vote.
Opponents say the amendment could give LGBT people the feeling of being more like second-class citizens and discriminating against non-traditional families.
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8h
Romanians vote for a second day on a constitutional amendment that would make it more difficult to legalize same-sex marriage.
The Central Electoral Bureau said 5.72 percent of voters voted Saturday in the two-day referendum. The vote requires a 30% participation to be valid.
The Conservative Coalition for the Family launched the referendum, supported by the influence of the Romanian Orthodox Church. At Sunday services, priests should encourage the faithful to vote.
The proposed amendment would change the definition of family in the Romanian Constitution to make marriage a union between a man and a woman rather than between "spouses". Marriage between people of the same sex is already illegal in Romania.
Opponents say the new constitutional text could give LGBT people the feeling of being more like second-class citizens and discriminating against non-traditional families.
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