A disputed referendum concerning the status of Crimea was conducted in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (both subdivisions of Ukraine) on March 16, 2014, after Russian forces seized control of Crimea.
The referendum was a step in the process of Russia annexing Crimea. The referendum asked voters whether they wanted to rejoin Russia as a federal subject, or if they wanted to restore the 1992 Crimean constitution and Crimea's status as a part of Ukraine. The final date and ballot choices were set only ten days before the referendum was held. Before, during and after the referendum was proclaimed, the Crimean peninsula saw Russian soldiers take over public buildings and Ukrainian military installations. When the referendum was proclaimed, the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People called for a boycott of the referendum.
