While the vote was boycotted by the authorities in Armenia, Estonia, Georgia (though not in the breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia),[4] Latvia, Lithuania, and Moldova (though not in Transnistria and Gagauzia),[5] turnout was 80% across the rest of the Soviet Union.

[6] However, the August coup attempt by hardliners of the Communist Party prevented the anticipated signing of the New Union Treaty that was due to take place the next day.

It was followed by a series of referendums for independence in individual republics and led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union on 26 December 1991.

[7] The following question was asked: On 24 December 1990, deputies of the 4th Congress of People's Deputies, having voted by name, decided to consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, which will be fully ensured human rights and freedoms of any nationality.

[8] The referendum considered five questions: On the same day, at the initiative and insistence of General Secretary and President Mikhail Gorbachev,[9][10] the Congress adopted two decisions on holding a referendum on the private ownership of land [6] and on the preservation of the Union as a renewed federation of equal sovereign of Soviet Socialist Republics [7].

1856-1[11] On 27 December 1990, Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR decided enact the law "On the popular vote (Soviet Union referendum)", effective immediately.

[15] Latvia also held an official referendum on 3 March 1991, when the overwhelming majority voted to restore the independent Latvian republic.

[16][17] Turnout of voting here was considerably less than 50% of the franchised voters of these countries[citation needed], but this information was not included in the official statement of the Central Commission of the Referendum of USSR.

At the same day a referendum in the Galician provinces Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Ternopil asked the three regions of the USSR about the creation of independent state of Ukraine.