BBC: People have until 23:59 BST on Tuesday 7 June to register to be able to vote in the referendum on whether the UK stays in the European Union or leaves.
Registering online should take about five minutes. People may need their National Insurance number, or passport number if a UK citizen living abroad.
In Northern Ireland, people have to download and return a form to register.
The Electoral Commission said it was the “last chance” for people to take part in the 23 June referendum.
In other developments with 16 days to go before the UK decides the UK’s future in Europe:
- David Cameron will be questioned by a live studio audience on ITV at 21.00 BST
- UKIP leader Nigel Farage will appear directly after the prime minister
- Vote Leave says dozens of foreign criminals have been allowed to remain in the UK because of EU laws
- Hitachi has said it will rethink UK investment in the event of Brexit
- Remain campaigners say UK firms face £34.4bn of trade tariffs outside the single market
Those eligible to cast a vote on 23 June – which include British or Irish citizens living in the UK who are 18 or over and Citizens of Commonwealth countries who are 18 or over and who have leave to remain in the UK – have to be on the electoral register to actually do so.
Anyone living in the UK who registered to vote ahead of last year’s general election or last month’s elections in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland does not need to re-register if they are still living at the same address. If they have since moved, they must re-register.
Those who are unsure whether they are registered should contact their local electoral registration office. Those wanting to vote by post must download the application form and return it to their local office by 17:00 BST on Wednesday 8 June in order to qualify. They must return their postal ballots by 22:00 BST on 23 June – when polling stations close.
Who is eligible to vote in the EU referendum
- British or Irish citizens living in the UK who are 18 or over
- Citizens of Commonwealth countries who are 18 or over and who have leave to remain in the UK
- British citizens living overseas who have been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years
- Irish citizens born in Northern Ireland now living overseas
- Irish citizens living overseas who have been registered to vote in Northern Ireland in the past 15 years
To apply to vote by proxy, people need to complete a separate application form,to be returned by 17.00 BST on 15 June.
About 1.3 million people have applied to register to vote online in the past three weeks, more than half of them under the age of 34.
However, concerns have been expressed that some people, particularly young voters, are being deterred by having to supply their National Insurance number.
‘Historic’
More than 185,000 people applied to register online last Friday.
But this figure is expected to be comfortably exceeded on Tuesday because of the publicity surrounding the deadline, with leading politicians from the Remain and Leave campaigns set to make an 11th hour appeal to people to make their voices count on 23 June.
While more than 485,000 people applied to register to vote on deadline day ahead of last year’s general election, the Electoral Commission said tens of thousands of others also missed out and warned time was now running out ahead of the EU vote.
“This really is your last chance,” said its chair Jenny Watson. “If you aren’t already registered to vote, you need to do it by the 7 June deadline or you won’t be able to take part in this historic referendum.”
‘Serve country’
Twitter users are being encouraged to remind their followers to sign up using the hashtag #EURefReady in a tie-up between the social media giant and the elections watchdog. Twitter has launched a new emoji to accompany the publicity campaign.
“The #EURef is one of the biggest decisions UK voters have been asked to make in decades so we are keen to ensure people make the most of the live, global conversation unfolding on Twitter to inform their decision,” said Twitter UK’s Rob Owers.
Meanwhile, some 270 veterans from the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force have issued a last-ditch plea for comrades to register to vote to back Brexit, urging them to continue “to serve their country” in an article for the Sun newspaper.
Levels of turnout – the number of people who actually vote – is likely to be crucial to the outcome of the referendum, with both sides trying to mobilise their supporters and to warn people of the consequences of staying at home on the big day.
The Electoral Commission said levels of awareness about the referendum had increased considerably in recent weeks.
But the Electoral Reform Society said its research suggested only one in four voters felt “well” or “very well” informed about the impending vote while 22% of people canvassed in late May had had no contact from anyone about the referendum.
It called on both sides to focus on the “real issues at stake rather than personality politics, party spats, and name-calling”.
