1961 Southern Rhodesian constitutional referendum

1961 Southern Rhodesian constitutional referendum

26 July 1961 (1961-07-26)

Results
Choice
Votes %
Yes 42,004 65.79%
No 21,846 34.21%
Valid votes 63,850 99.13%
Invalid or blank votes 558 0.87%
Total votes 64,408 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 83,486 77.15%

A constitutional referendum was held in Southern Rhodesia, then a constituent territory of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, on 26 July 1961. The new constitution was approved by about 66% of those who voted; turnout was 77%.

The referendum was held using the same franchise as elections to the Legislative Assembly, which excluded most Africans.[1]

  1. ^ John Day (1969) "Southern Rhodesian African Nationalists and the 1961 Constitution", The Journal of Modern African Studies, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 221–247