Voters were being asked if they support the European Union's association agreement with Ukraine, which aims to foster better trade relations with the war-torn country and former Soviet satellite. But organisers have admitted the non-binding ballot is essentially about wider anti-EU sentiment, and it could prove an important yardstick only months ahead of Britain's "Brexit" referendum in June.
The exit polls, carried out by polling institute Ipsos, showed 64 percent of those who voted said "No" to the deal, with some 36 percent voting in favour. But it was not immediately clear if turnout had reached the 30 percent of the 12.5 million eligible voters needed to be valid. The exit polls initially put turnout at 29 percent, before updating it to 32 percent with a margin of error of 3 percent.
The civic-minded Dutch usually flock to the polls, with past turnouts hitting around 75 percent. But amid driving rain most people appeared to be staying away. A Dutch "No" to the two-year-old treaty, which has already gone into force, could pose a headache for the European Union (EU). Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who cast his ballot at a Hague primary school, had urged citizens to vote in favour. "We have to help Ukraine build up a judicial state and its democracy. To support its minorities like Jews and its gay community," Rutte said.
"Europe needs more stability at its edges." But many voters had remained puzzled about what the referendum was all about. "I think it's good to have a referendum, to be able to say what we think of Brussels. It's important," one voter, who identified himself only as Bert, 49, told AFP. It remains unclear what the results will mean for the Netherlands - which currently holds the rotating EU presidency.
The vote is non-binding and the government has been non-committal, saying only it would study the results after the polls closed. The "No" camp has highlighted concerns about corruption in Ukraine, and continuing separatist unrest in the east, among reasons to refuse closer ties with Kiev. Ukraine, where a Moscow-backed president who rejected the cooperation deal was ousted in 2014, had actively campaigned for a "yes" vote. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko voiced confidence in Dutch support, but his inclusion in the so-called Panama Papers tax evasion scandal has turned off some Dutch voters.