With only a few hours to go before polling stations close, Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen is appealing to Danes to increase the turnout in order to secure an amendment to the laws on royal succession.

The amendment to the law will allow the monarch’s first born of either gender to ascend the throne, but in order for the amendment to pass, 40 percent of the entire electorate must vote in favour.

“The polling stations are open until 8 p.m.. I appeal, of course, to people to use their right to vote, and if you share our point of views to vote in favour,” Prime Minister Løkke Rasmussen says on TV2 News.

The latest exit poll by Megafon for TV2 and Politiken shows 75.5 percent have voted in favour of the amendment, while 24.5 percent have either voted against or cast a neutral vote.

That would suggest that 37.9 percent of the entire electorate has voted for the amendment – two percent short of what is necessary.

Up to Sunday’s referendum, which is being held simultaneously with elections to the European Parliament, there has been widespread debate as to the necessity of introducing the amendment at a time when it cannot have any effect for at least 80 years. The current Crown Prince Frederik’s first born is also male.