To think it's your own fault and you've had ages to sort it!

[Hurryhurryhurry]

Heard the news on the radio about up to 1 million people registering to vote yesterday... On the last day!
Then the site crashed and now many people are annoyed that they couldn't register and want the deadline to be extended.

Wtf! Aibu to think why did you leave it until yesterday?!

Hurryhurryhurry, there is provision for you to register during the year after your 17th birthday so you still don't need to wait until the last minute.

Yes YABU. They gave a deadline, and people tried to apply before it ran out. The dickwads who run the website should have had the common sense to anticipate it might have a last minute rush - it's human nature for many people to customarily leave things til the last moment.

Augusta hopefull they've learnt from the 1st time round and don't leave it until thurs eve. They should do it now.

Also, it is good that they have extended the deadline as it gives more people the opportunity to vote. The more the better. But they should still accept that it was their fault that the system crashed and to learn from it for next time

I'm not stalking you mrsterry don't flatter yourself.
It was the use of z in organisation.
So you're canadian.... Again, why do you care so much about our situation

mummytime did you know when the deadline was? Did you have the foresight to let your dc know? Or are you all registering at 23:55 tomorrow?

Actually I have dual nationality (for less than a year) and spent most of my life in the UK. I care because, amongst a host of other issues, it dictates where I can travel freely. With my shiny UK passport.

I don't vote in UK general elections because I have a Canadian vote and I don't think that's fair but I am voting in this referendum. Because it affects me and because I think it's very unfair that the long-term mainland EU living British people (some would argue the most affected by the vote) don't get a vote.

I had to apply weeks ago to register and then to get proxy. I still think the last-minute registers should get their vote.

I see no reason whatsoever why a million people should blame themselves if a computer system crashes. Who would expect so many others to be registering at the last minute? Clearly not the people responsible for the system that crashed. Personally, I think it was members of the Brexit campaign deliberately trying to make the system crash by flooding it with fake applications, so that legitimate voters couldn't register in time.

I don't think you are being unreasonable! Yes the deadline was midnight so it should have been available until that time, but it has been pushed so much online and in the news over the last few weeks with the date of the deadline being made very explicit so people had plenty of time to do something about it. It's kind of like your favourite band announces they are touring in September next year but the tickets go on sale in December, you get in early because you know that you can't expect to get tickets (at face value anyway) the day before the concert! There will always be people who are rushing at the last minute but it was the sheer volume of people trying. I don't really understand why so many people left it so late either to be honest.

Fair enough mrsterry but I agree that the last minute registers should get a right to vote, they are very lucky that they have been given a 2nd chance. I still think they're stupid for leaving it until the last minute, esp as it's something so important

See, that's the point. It wouldn't make a very good slogan but "One person; one vote [even if that person is stupid, disorganized, lazy, busy or a bit shit]". Can't imagine the bumper sticker...

I am gobsmacked that so many people who haven't only just turned 18, haven't bothered to register until now.

Still, at least they're interested enough to do it now. That's a good thing, isn't it? The more people who vote - not just in this one, but in all of them - the better, and voting in this may encourage them to vote in future versions too.

I wonder if Scotland had the same problem last yr?

Scotland has less than a tenth of the population so probably not.

It's also a bloody good thing because if registered to vote, presumably this will increase suffrage at other elections, too?

Not necessarily.

Well, it will. How could it not? Suffrage isn't the same as turn out.

Whole thing stinks of vote rigging if it went down for 2hrs than it should only have extended for 2 hrs not 48 hours. This coupled with news that 5000 people who are not eligible to vote have been sent voting cards wtaf. We were promised a fair fight and this is not a fair fight.

People who aren't eligible to vote based on what?

EU nationals and a 17-year-old girl were among those sent postal voting papers despite not being allowed to take part in the June 23 poll, MPs heard.

Pretty damning really.

...were among those. Forgive my cynicism but that's interesting language. Linky to the report?

Looked at a couple of non-DM articles and it seems to be more like 3.5 K. And they seem to be a result of electoral fraud on the part of the applicant, rather than anything more sinister.

YABU - personally I would not have waiting until yesterday to register, but if a deadline is set people should be able to register right up to that deadline.

A polling card does not entitle you to vote. The society of electoral registration officers (name unknown to me) have been very clear than while some polling cards were sent in error, none of those voters would have been allowed to vote had they turned up at the polling station. Their status would have been marked clearly on the register, and the areas affected would know this, and brief polling station staff appropriately.
It's a non-story, I'm afraid, despite conspiracy theorists trying to turn it into a Pro-Remain Plot.

Thanks C2H5OH that's interesting.

I am registered to vote in both the US and UK. I take my right to vote seriously and made sure I was registered. I was away on Tuesday when we had our state primary. I was able to set up DH to go and vote for me (voting by proxy).

Here in my town there have been lots of accusations of politicians buying votes. Basically, they give $50 bills to people in the projects to vote for them. No idea if it is true or not today but I don't doubt that went on back in the day.

One thing I do like is that here in my town in the US, on election day you can show up with your DL (which has your current address) plus passport and vote at the polling station for your local area. It is a great system and something the UK should copy. Instead I fear the UK will copy obamacare, the latest US based disaster which everyone in the UK likes to think is a huge success (it is if you have $24k to drop in premiums plus $20k in copayments and co-insurance which of course you get refunded the following year if your household earns less than $200k per year but hey ho you can sink in debt until then).

My kids loved election day this week. DH told me DS sat on the fire truck and DD1 sat in a police car.

Oh and here in the US a deadline is a deadline. Grant applications, if late, are rejected. Voting closes at 10pm. Arrive at 9:59pm you can vote. Arrive at 10:00pm and voting is closed to those who didn't arrive at or before 10:00:00pm. Very simple.

Registering to vote is entirely comparable to handing work in on time and purchasing tickets for an event. If people can't organize themselves to register to vote shame on them. If the government can't maintain a website properly that crashes so easily, shame on us for not protesting and making the leaders, our MPs, accountable.

Can non-British Europeans in the uk vote?