▁allowed ▁to ▁vote . ▁ ▁Question ▁The ▁question ▁put ▁to ▁vot ers ▁was : ▁ ▁Results ▁ ▁The ▁results ▁of ▁the ▁refer endum ▁were ▁announced ▁on ▁ 1 1 ▁December . ▁Over ▁ 9 8 % ▁of ▁valid ▁ball ots ▁were ▁cast ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁independence . ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁election , ▁it ▁was ▁widely ▁expected ▁that ▁the ▁independence ▁option ▁would ▁win , ▁with ▁The ▁Guardian ▁reporting ▁an ▁estimate ▁of ▁ 9 0 % ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁independence . ▁ ▁An ▁official ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁refer endum ▁went ▁" bet ter ▁than ▁we ▁expected ," ▁and ▁that ▁vot ers ▁were ▁enthus i astic , ▁while ▁obser vers ▁from ▁Div ine ▁Word ▁University ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁voting ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁an ▁atmosphere ▁of ▁celebr ation . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 4 ▁January ▁ 2 0 2 0 ▁the ▁result ▁was ▁declared ▁" P et ition ▁Free ", ▁confirm ing ▁that ▁no ▁appe als ▁had ▁been ▁received ▁within ▁ 4 0 ▁days ▁against ▁the ▁conduct ▁or ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁refer endum ▁and ▁that ▁none ▁could ▁be ▁accepted ▁in ▁future . ▁On ▁the ▁same ▁day , ▁the ▁December ▁result ▁was ▁comm ended ▁by ▁the ▁Refer endum ▁Commission ▁to ▁the ▁govern ments ▁and ▁the ▁refer endum ▁process ▁formally ▁closed . ▁ ▁After math ▁Following ▁the ▁announ c ements ▁of ▁the ▁result , ▁John ▁M om is , ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Aut onom ous ▁Region ▁of ▁B oug ain ville , ▁said , ▁" at ▁least ▁psych olog ically , ▁we ▁feel ▁liber ated ." ▁Pap ua