The Electoral Commission has called for an extension to the EU referendum voter registration deadline after a technical glitch prevented “many” people from registering on Tuesday night.
A website error prevented people from registering to vote online from 22:15 BST until after the midnight deadline.
The government blamed “unprecedented demand” for causing the “504 Gateway Time-out” error, whilecommentators have branded the glitch a “shambles”.
The commission said the government should look into changing the law surrounding the deadline to make sure everyone who is eligible and would like to vote in the “once-in-a-lifetime” referendum on the UK’s future within the European Union, should be able to do so.
Ministers will be called to respond to an urgent question on the problems in the Commons at 12:30 BST, and if an extension is agreed, the government will use a statutory instrument to make a rapid alteration to the law.
