Few Dutch cast early ballots in Ukraine Referendum

Polling stations across the Netherlands are open for Dutch citizens to vote in the referendum over the association agreement between the EU and Ukraine today. So far the turn out has not been overwhelmingly high. Around noon the highest turnout was in Schiermonnikoog in Friesland at 16.6 percent, according to news wire ANP. Het Bildt, on the other side of the Wadden Sea, followed with 14 percent. Of the four largest cities in the Netherlands, The Hague has the highest turnout so far, 8.7 percent at 12:00 p.m. Utrecht reported a 7.5 percent turnout at 11:30 a.m. and Rotterdam 5.4 percent at 10:00 a.m. Amsterdam will give its first turnout estimate at 1:00 p.m. The big question is whether enough people will cast their vote today for the referendum to reach the 30 percent turnout required for the results to be considered valid. Most polling stations close at 9:00 p.m., so there is still time for the Dutch to cast their vote. Numerous politicians already cast their vote in the referendum, including Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Minister Bert Koenders of Foreign Affairs, Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb, D66 leader Alexander Pechtold, PVV leader Geert Wilders and Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem.