A low turn-out has long been a concern for campaigners Wales says Yes in referendum vote
A low turn-out has long been a concern for campaigners Initial results in the Welsh referendum have given a Yes to direct law-making powers for the assembly.
Anglesey, Wrexham, Blaenau Gwent and Denbighshire all backed change, with turnout below 30% in some areas, but provisionally put at 35% across Wales.
BBC Wales political editor Betsan Powys said it was clear the Yes camp will have a “comprehensive victory”.
A Yes vote would give the assembly direct law-making power in 20 devolved areas, such as health and education.
BBC Wales referendum live events page
A No vote would keep the current system where the assembly asks parliament for powers to be transferred to Cardiff on a case-by-case basis.
With counting in 22 regional centres well under way, Rachel Banner of True Wales told the BBC: “It doesn’t look as if it’s gone our way”.
First Minister Carwyn Jones said: “The turnout is in the 30s, not brilliant, but then not apocalyptic, which some people predicted.”
He said the low turnout was partly due to there being no official Yes or No campaigns, and he took a swipe at “abysmal” coverage “from UK media” of the campaign.
The 1979 ballot was a resounding defeat for the Yes campaign
Lee Waters, of Yes for Wales, said the opinion polls had been consistent for three years “but we were never sure whether that would be translated into votes in the ballot box.”
He said the result and swing in Denbighshire showed that “Wales has changed,” but the frustration was getting what they believed was a “common sense argument across to enough people.”
WELSH REFERENDUM TURNOUTBridgend 35.64%Caerphilly 34.5%.Cardiff 31.3%Carmarthenshire 44.36%Ceredigion 44.07%Conwy 33.79%Flintshire 29.4%Gwynedd 43.4%Merthyr 29%Monmouthshire 35.83%Neath Port Talbot 38%Pembrokeshire 38.7%Rhondda Cynon Taf 34.6%Swansea 32.9%Torfaen 33.8%Vale of Glamorgan 40.10%Provisional Wales total: 35.2%Source: Official counts. More to follow later
An opinion poll for BBC Wales this week found almost half of potential voters felt they lacked enough information to make an informed decision.
A poll conducted by ICM in the days leading up to the referendum found 48% of respondents said they had not received enough information. Exactly half said that they had.
BBC referendum results coverage
Website: The News website includes a live events page, continually updated as counting goes on.
TV: Referendum 2011 – The Result, presented by Jamie Owen, will be on BBC One Wales from 1030 – 1300 GMT. It will switch to BBC Two Wales from 1300 – 1345 GMT, and back to BBC One Wales until after the final result. S4C will show Refferendwm 2011 from 1030 – 1600 GMT.
Radio: There is also coverage from 1030 GMT – 1500 GMT on BBC Radio Wales and 1105 – 1530 GMT on BBC Radio Cymru.
It suggests an assembly with law-making and some taxation powers remains the most popular option – 35%.
Eighteen per cent supported the sort of law-making assembly without taxation powers that will exist if a Yes vote is declared on Friday, while 17% want the assembly to continue as it is.
Independence was favoured by 16%, and 15% wanted the assembly abolished.
ICM interviewed 1,003 adults on 1 and 2 March.
Some 2.2m people were eligible to vote in the Welsh referendum.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.