Exit polls released by national broadcasters DR and TV 2 immediately after polls closed at 20:00 CEST (18:00 UTC) showed a large majority of the electorate had voted "Yes". This was the first time that Denmark had ever abolished one of its EU opt-outs. This was the largest share of the vote ever received by the "Yes" side in an EU-referendum, with the result being described by some as a landslide. The turnout at 65.8% was noted as one of the lowest of any EU referendum, with only the 2014 Danish Unified Patent Court membership referendum having had a lower turnout. Election scholars expressed concern and attributed the low turnout to some parties being hesitant to campaign, as well as the opinion polls prior to the election showing the yes side having a large lead.
