KEY POINTS:
• The results are in: It’s YES to euthanasia, NO to legalising cannabis, preliminary numbers show.
• Preliminary results were released at 2pm today; final results are released next Friday, November 6.
• The final results will include about 480,000 special votes.
• It will be about a year before terminal patients can request assisted dying.
New Zealanders have voted yes on euthanasia, no on cannabis legalisation, preliminary numbers show.
With an estimated 17 per cent of votes still to be counted, 65.2 per cent voted in support of the End of Life Choice Act, while 53.1 per cent voted against the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill.
Supporters of cannabis reform were looking for at least a close margin in the preliminary referendum results, which were released at 2pm.
Recent polls had the “no” vote on legalising cannabis substantially ahead of the “yes” vote.