Cameron urges voters to keep registering after website crashes

The Prime Minister urged people to continue to register online despite the deadline passing last night.

Speaking in the Commons today, Mr Cameron said: “We need to make sure that we need to get the details of any emergency legislation exactly right since we have to pass it at pace.

“People should register to vote now.

“Those registrations will be captured by the system and then we have the legal question whether captured applications can be eligible for June 23.

“That is the issue we will deal with potentially in legislation.”

The Prime Minister was responding after widespreads calls for the deadline to be extended following problems experienced by thousands of people trying to register online last night.

Gloria De Piero, Labour’s Shadow Minister for voter registration, said: “The tens of thousands of voters who were trying to register when the voter registration site crashed last night – who through no fault of their own are now unable to take part in the referendum – could have a decisive impact on the result.

“We need the Government to act to give a 24 hour extension of both the voter registration and postal vote deadlines, so that anyone who has registered to vote today will be able to have their say in the decision of a lifetime.

“We are making an offer to the Government today to support any legislative changes necessary in the Commons and the Lords, to ensure democracy isn’t hijacked just because the computer says no.”

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: “It is welcome that the Government have bowed to pressure and agreed that people can register to vote throughout today. But we cannot expect people to sign up and then not be able to vote. The Government must give a guarantee that everyone that does sign up will be able to vote. No ifs, no buts. Everyone who registers must have their voice heard.

“I would call on the Government to use all possible methods to make sure that people know that the deadline has moved and that people can still register to vote. The vote in a few short weeks will define Britain and its future. The future is in the public’s hands, everyone must have the chance to have their voice heard.“