[1] The referendum was conducted according to the "Temporary Regulation on the Conduct of a Referendum in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic" that came into force on 27 November 1991 during the session of the Nagorno Karabakh Council of People's Deputies.

Trilingual ballot papers (in Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian) were sent to all parts of Nagorno Karabakh, including the Azerbaijani-populated settlements, with a question: "Do you agree that the proclaimed Nagorno Karabakh Republic be a sovereign state, to independently determine the forms of cooperation with other states and communities?".

The voting process was covered by reporters from Russia and France, and a number of other periodicals and agencies, as well as TV channels of Russia, the United States and Bulgaria.

On the day of the referendum, Stepanakert, and other Armenian settlements, came under fire with 10 civilian deaths 11 wounded reported.

Nagorno-Karabakh continued to be internationally considered as de jure part of Azerbaijan on no legal basis.