Eu Referendum: Voter Extension 'may Be Legally Challenged'

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36486369

I take it then, that we can assume that the LEAVE campaign think that all these last minute registrations are more likely to vote to STAY ?

A bad loser in the making !

[EDDIE51]

As all parties and both sides of the referendum debate were strongly in favour of extending the deadline I really don't see what it is hoped to achieve from this.Apart from a bit more publicity of course.
What would they be saying if the deadline had not been extended and tens of thousands of people were unable to register because of the computer failure?

[mikey4444]

I agree with you Eddie.....I was pointing out that it is a prominent funder of the Leave Britain campaign that is saying this, and its stinks of desperation to me.

[Old_Geezer]

I wonder of they feel the tardy ones may consist a large portion of those living abroad, and that they're more likely to be thinking more about their own personal benefit rather than the benefit of the country they no longer reside in, and of it's future citizens ?

[dannyk13]

As usual Mikey is putting forward his own interpretation of the facts.

[maggiebee]

Always told never to ASSUME. It makes an ASS out of U and ME.

[mikey4444]

OG...from the evidence that I heard last night, a large proportion of these late-registrators have been young people....exactly the demographic that is most likely to vote to REMAIN.

Added to the ex-pats, its perfectly obvious to me that Mr Banks is increasingly nervous that all his money will have gone to waste.

[Gromit]

It seems odd that they want to challenge the registration extension. You would think the higher the turnout, the more accurate a guage of UK opinion it will be.

Euroskeptic UKIP MEPs are more used to getting elected from getting just over a third of a 43% turnout. They thrive on the protest vote, but if the people who normally want to keep the status Quo, but don't bother to vote, actually get out and vote, it could nullify them.

[mikey4444]

danny....and you never do that do you ? Am I not entitled to a view ?

[mikey4444]

I think Mr Banks may be frit !

[Old_Geezer]

Ah I see. Those swayed by cheaper roaming tariffs and think that exit would mean no European friends nor ability to visit, educate, or work outside the UK if we leave.

I approve of democracy and everyone having a vote, but on such a tight to call yet vital issue I can see the annoyance of having the long established deadline extended for those not even able to register until the last moment.

Hopefully the impression given by younger voters, is a false one, and they have considered the genuine issues and sorted them from the hysterical hype.

[ToraToraTora]

why is it necessary to extend at all? there has been plenty of time.

[Svejk]

Ah, but 3 months after the referendum when it's 'discovered' that loads of people who shouldn't have been allowed to vote, did, or, indeed, voted twice, they can blame all the confusion on the last minute rush, not having time to check everyone, etc.

[Gromit]

The deadline is a manufactured one anyway.
There should no reason why people cannot register up to the day before.

The printout of those able to vote in each polling station does not need to be ready 3 weeks before it is needed, it could be done the day before.
(If they joined the 21st century and had a computerised data base of voters instead of a paper copy, then the need for a print version would go).

With voter apathy, we should be encouraging registrations, not putting barriers up.

[Svejk]

If voters are apathetic, we should enable them?

[zebo]

Does this not set a dangerous precedent, extending a deadline for the benefit of those who couldn't be bothered until the last minute? Will we see the extension of voting times because of those who turn up at the polling station at the last minute? Whenever there is a deadline, someone will be on the wrong side of it.

[Kathyan]

I was saying to my husband last night that maybe some, and I stress some, young people may think that they just have to register to vote but don't realise that they actually have to go out and vote. Eddie Izzard was pushing the idea that they must register to vote but didn't push the idea that they had to vote. Just a thought and I am probably wrong.

[Gromit]

Zebo,

They were within the deadline for registering, they did not miss it. The failure for them not registering was out of their control. The Law gave a time until which they could register and the Government failed to meet that.
Those blaming people for leaving it until the last minute must know that will happen.

[Old_Geezer]

They did miss it. They got to the queue in time, but not to the front of it to register before time ran out.

The failure is something they are at least partially responsible for. Independently the reason they failed to register was that they didn't try in a quiet period well before a last moment rush. Collectively they were responsible for the crash by all getting on at the same time and not expecting that to have adverse consequences.

I don't have an issue giving all the vote, but I wonder is those who can't judge how to successfully register by a deadline have the ability to consider the issues that they are planning to vote on.

[youngmafbog]

Who knows what way anyone would vote? Most likely a mix of in and out.

The problem is, when you start fiddling with the rules people will get upset.

I can imagine Mickeys indignation if it turned out to be all out voters !

[Gromit]

// They did miss it. They got to the queue in time, but not to the front of it to register before time ran out. //

Not true. They got to the queue at 10pm to carry out a function that should have taken just a few seconds. But the site wasn't working properly.

It should have been anticipated that there would be a last minute rush and the system designed to cope. People should not be denied a vote due to a technical failure beyond their control.