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Labour and Electoral Commission push for reopening of EU vote registration Carry on registering for EU referendum, Cameron tells voters
(35 minutes later)
Labour and the elections watchdog have increased pressure on ministers to extend the deadline for voter registration following the collapse of the government’s website on Tuesday. David Cameron has urged people who could not register to vote for the EU referendum after the collapse of a government website to attempt to register again.
The shadow voter registration minister, Gloria De Piero, has been granted an urgent question in the Commons on the issue, with Matt Hancock, the Cabinet Office minister, expected to respond. The prime minister said the government was in urgent talks to ensure that the collapse of the official registration portal did not disenfranchise tens of thousands of people who could not register to vote.
Jeremy Corbyn and other opposition figures called for action after the Cabinet Office website would not allow voters to input their details at 10.40pm on Tuesday. Voters had been encouraged for weeks to register before 11.59pm to be able to take part in the EU referendum. His intervention followed pressure from the elections watchdog and opposition politicians who called for the government to step in after the website’s collapse in the last two hours before Tuesday’s midnight registration deadline.
“People should continue to register today. The Electoral Commission has made a statement this morning urging the government to consider options that would effectively extend the deadline and these should include legislative options, and we are doing that,” he told the House of Commons.
Labour and the elections watchdog urged ministers on Wednesday morning to extend the deadline for voter registration.
The shadow voter registration minister, Gloria De Piero, was granted an urgent question in the Commons on the issue, with Matt Hancock, the Cabinet Office minister, expected to respond.
The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and other opposition figures called for action after the Cabinet Office website would not allow voters to input their details at 10.40pm on Tuesday. Voters had been encouraged for weeks to register before 11.59pm to be able to take part in the EU referendum.
The glitch could mean that tens of thousands of potential voters may have been disenfranchised and unable to register to vote in what is expected to be a closely fought contest.The glitch could mean that tens of thousands of potential voters may have been disenfranchised and unable to register to vote in what is expected to be a closely fought contest.
De Piero said the website’s crash could have a decisive impact on the result and offered Labour’s support in introducing emergency laws to allow an extension.De Piero said the website’s crash could have a decisive impact on the result and offered Labour’s support in introducing emergency laws to allow an extension.
In an unusual intervention, the Electoral Commission on Wednesday urged the government to introduce legislation that would extend the deadline.In an unusual intervention, the Electoral Commission on Wednesday urged the government to introduce legislation that would extend the deadline.
A Commission spokesperson said: “There will be many people who wanted to register to vote last night and were not able to. A commission spokesperson said: “There will be many people who wanted to register to vote last night and were not able to.
“We have said to the government this morning they should consider options for introducing legislation as soon as possible that would extend the deadline. We would support such a change.”“We have said to the government this morning they should consider options for introducing legislation as soon as possible that would extend the deadline. We would support such a change.”
David Cameron was among senior figures who urged people to sign up before the midnight deadline, but the last-minute rush was stalled after the website failed, with Labour leader Corbyn and the Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, among those demanding an extension. Cameron was among senior figures who urged people to sign up before the midnight deadline, but the last-minute rush was stalled when the website failed, with Corbyn and the Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, among those demanding an extension.
“Given the history of government IT problems, it is extraordinary that there were no contingency arrangements in place. Instead we have blind panic and chaos,” said Farron.“Given the history of government IT problems, it is extraordinary that there were no contingency arrangements in place. Instead we have blind panic and chaos,” said Farron.
“It is legal to extend the deadline. There are a number of options the government can use. My sense is we should extend the deadline for anybody for another 24 hours.“It is legal to extend the deadline. There are a number of options the government can use. My sense is we should extend the deadline for anybody for another 24 hours.
“People might have seen the debate last night and wanted to register, that is valid. It seems many trying to register were young people. It would be a travesty if their first experience of democracy was this shambles,” he said. “People might have seen the debate last night and wanted to register, that is valid. It seems many trying to register were young people. It would be a travesty if their first experience of democracy was this shambles.
“Evidence shows younger people are overwhelmingly pro-European, and if they are disenfranchised it could cost us our place in Europe. It could also turn them off democracy for life. Voters must be given an extra day while this mess is sorted out urgently.”“Evidence shows younger people are overwhelmingly pro-European, and if they are disenfranchised it could cost us our place in Europe. It could also turn them off democracy for life. Voters must be given an extra day while this mess is sorted out urgently.”
Nigel Farage, Ukip’s leader, also appeared to agree that the voter registration deadline should be extended for a day. The Ukip leader, Nigel Farage, also appeared to agree that the voter registration deadline should be extended for a day.
“I think there have been some pretty big clarion calls for people to register and my understanding is that a very, very large number of people have. So if the website crashed last night then maybe the sensible thing is to extend it by a day but I really wouldn’t go beyond that,” he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.“I think there have been some pretty big clarion calls for people to register and my understanding is that a very, very large number of people have. So if the website crashed last night then maybe the sensible thing is to extend it by a day but I really wouldn’t go beyond that,” he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.
According to government data, more than 50,000 people attempted to register to vote between 11.15pm and 11.20pm on Tuesday.According to government data, more than 50,000 people attempted to register to vote between 11.15pm and 11.20pm on Tuesday.
A Cabinet Office spokeswoman said officials became aware of technical issues on gov.uk/register-to-vote late on Tuesday night due to “unprecedented demand”. “Some people did manage to get through and their applications were processed. We tried to resolve the situation as quickly as was possible and to resolve cases where people tried to register but were not able to,” she said. A Cabinet Office spokeswoman said officials became aware of technical issues on gov.uk/register-to-vote late on Tuesday night owing to “unprecedented demand”. “Some people did manage to get through and their applications were processed. We tried to resolve the situation as quickly as was possible and to resolve cases where people tried to register but were not able to,” she said.
By 7am on Wednesday, the site was working again. However, those who registered at this time will not be allowed to vote on 23 June, one source said.
Labour’s leader wrote:Labour’s leader wrote:
I'm told https://t.co/qXdulxPFk2 site has crashed so people can't register to vote for #EUreferendum. If so, deadline has to be extendedI'm told https://t.co/qXdulxPFk2 site has crashed so people can't register to vote for #EUreferendum. If so, deadline has to be extended
De Pierosaid the Cabinet Office site showed that there were 26,629 people attempting to register six minutes before the midnight deadline. “Government MUST extend the deadline for 24 hours,” she wrote on Twitter. De Piero said the Cabinet Office site showed that there were 26,629 people attempting to register six minutes before the midnight deadline. “Government MUST extend the deadline for 24 hours,” she wrote on Twitter.
Yvette Cooper, the former Labour minister, also called for the government to extend the deadline. “People cannot be denied the right to vote because computer says no,” she tweeted.Yvette Cooper, the former Labour minister, also called for the government to extend the deadline. “People cannot be denied the right to vote because computer says no,” she tweeted.