“The deadline for registering to vote was extended because the website stopped working early. That mean't people who were within the deadline could not register.”
No, I’d not forgotten the history:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36480764
“The glitch, blamed on record demand, lasted from 22:15 BST on Tuesday until after the midnight cut-off.”
So, having had weeks of notice, they leave it until less than two hours before the deadline. Rather like arriving at a football ground at five to three expecting a smooth run through the turnstiles and then moaning because you missed the kick-off. Yes, you should be able to arrive at 2:55pm, but it’s foolish to do so.
No, there’s no firm evidence that all the latecomers were younger people, but people who are registering tend to be either people who have recently moved or those registering for the first time (i.e. mainly younger people). Those seen moaning on the telly that they had been unable to register were predominantly young, first time voters. Older people tend to get their affairs in order and don’t leave things to the last minute. This allows them time to deal with the problems of the type that people faced at 10:15pm on cut-off day.