National turnout for the EU Referendum is announced
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Referendum update
The Chief Counting Officer for the EU referendum, Jenny Watson has announced the official turnout at the referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union from Manchester Town Hall.
The verified ballot paper totals for all three hundred and eighty two voting areas have been submitted and approved by Regional Counting Officers.
Across the UK and Gibraltar, Counting Officers have verified that a total of 33,568,184 ballot papers will be included in the count for the referendum.
Based on a confirmed electorate of 46,500,001 turnout at the referendum was 72.2%
Ends
For further information contact Electoral Commission press office:
- 020 7271 0704 (Out of office hours: 07789 920 414)
- [email protected]
Extra notes
Notes to editors
- The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. Our aim is integrity and public confidence in the UK’s democratic process. We regulate party and election finance and set standards for well-run elections and are responsible for the conduct and regulation of referendum held under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (2000).
- The national turnout figure is based on the total of verified ballot papers reported by each local counting officer.
- Verification is the first stage of the count process following the receipt of the ballot boxes.
- Verification: Ballot papers are verified by counting the number of ballot papers (but not actual votes) in each ballot box. Counting staff check that the number of ballot papers at the count centre matches the number expected, according to the records kept by local polling station staff. Once the Counting Officer (CO) is satisfied that all ballot papers are accounted for, the local turnout figure can be announced.
- On Tuesday 21 June, the Commission published the provisional electorate figure for the EU Referendum which was 46,499,537. The confirmed electorate figure is different because changes to the electoral register can be made after publication of the last scheduled update to the register and up to 9pm on polling day to correct a clerical error for example.