An unofficial referendum about the water privatization was held in Thessaloniki on Sunday. The ballot boxes were set up outside the polling stations where citizens cast their vote municipality and regional elections.
According preliminary counting results, a total of 12,875 citizens cast their vote in the unofficial referendum ballot boxes.
98.03 % voted NO
1.97% voted YES
UPDATE: counted 20,23% (29 ballots boxes out of 192 total)
97.8% voted NO (42,999 voters)
2.10 voted YES (922 voters)
Interior Minister Yiannis Michelakis sent a circular to several acting mayor in the area asking them not to allow a third ballot box and not to use the voters’ lists. At the same time, the prosecutor threatened with arrests.
But many mayors ignored the circular and described it as “insulting”.
The referendum was targeting the privatization of Thessaloniki Water company.
Estimations speak of a high turnout.
Pictures in Twitter hashtag #vote4water