7million to lose right to vote in EU referendum as they fail to register
MORE than seven million people are set to lose the right to vote in the EU referendum, despite pleas for them to register ahead of last night’s deadline.
Campaigners yesterday made last-ditch efforts to persuade the public to register to vote ahead of the June 3 poll on Britain’s EU membership.
But the final figure is expected to fall well short of the 97 per cent of voters who registered to take part in the 014 referendum on Scottish independence.
The Electoral Commission yesterday said about 86 per cent of the electorate had registered to vote, leaving up to 7.5million who will not be able to take part.
Alex Robertson, of the commission, said more than 1.6million had signed up to vote in the last month, including
6,000 who registered on Monday.
But he added: ‘Our latest research shows there are about 7.5million people who are not registered to vote who should be – a lot of them are young people, a lot are people who have moved house.
‘The deadline is midnight – if you are one minute late it is no good.’ Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn yesterday became the latest pro-Brussels campaigner to urge people to register, pointing out that young people could use their smartphones to do so. Online registration took just five minutes, but despite desperate pleas from campaigners, many were not expected to bother.
Of the 6,000 who registered on Monday, almost half are thought to have been aged under 35.
Analysis by polling firm Ipsos Mori shows that although the young outnumber the old they are far less likely to vote.
The number of people aged 18-35 is 3.4million more than the population aged over 65.
But at last year’s general election, the over-65s accounted for 9 per cent of all votes cast. The under-35s accounted for just per cent.
If this is replicated in the EU referendum, then older voters will outnumber the young by almost two million.
Polls suggest that older people are more likely to vote to leave the EU.
‘One minute late is no good’