Referendum Vote Registration Deadline Not Extended In NI

The extension of the deadline for registering to vote in the EU Referendum does not include NI, the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (EONI) has reported.

The EONI had posted on Twitter on Wednesday that the deadline had been extended until midnight today (Thursday 09 June) – news that was widely reported.

However, it has updated the information to say that digital registration problems did not impact Northern Ireland, and the deadline was not being extended here.

The EONI issued an apology for the confusion.

However, Mr Jimmy Kelly, Unite the union's Regional Secretary, said it is a "disgrace".

He said: "Voters in Northern Ireland matter just as much as those from any other part of the United Kingdom. Indeed, Northern Ireland’s economy is more exposed to the negative potential consequences of this vote than any other part of the UK – it is a disgrace that voters here have been effectively discriminated against.

"Those wishing to register have to submit a paper application and, in many cases, present themselves to electoral offices with photographic identification – while those in England, Scotland and Wales can simply fill out an online registration form.

"The impact of this policy has been to disenfranchise many young people from exercising their democratic rights on an issue of vital importance. This is particularly the case with young people coming from working-class backgrounds."

(MH)