Romanian referendum on gay marriage is void

A referendum in Romania aiming to exclude same-sex couples from the definition of marriage has failed after turnout fell well below the threshold.

Barely a fifth of Romania’s 19million voters cast their ballots in the weekend referendum that had drawn heavy criticism from rights groups and the EU. To be valid, it needed a minimum turnout of 30 per cent.

Of the 3.7million who did vote, just over 3.4million – 92 per cent – were in favour of the proposed change.