Britain Votes For EU Referendum
MEP: Millions of Britons begin voting in historic EU referendum on whether the UK should remain a member of the European Union or leave the 28-member bloc.
British Prime Minister David Cameron and his Eurosceptic opponents made final pitches for wavering voters on Wednesday on the eve of a defining referendum on European Union membership with the outcome still too close to call.
Polling stations opened at 6:00 GMT (7:00 a.m.) on Thursday with a record 46.5 million voters have signed up to weigh in the referendum that asks: “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?”
They will have two possible answers: “Remain a member of the European Union” or “Leave the European Union.”
It is only the third nationwide referendum in UK history and comes after a four-month battle for votes between the Leave and Remain campaigns.
“It’s our last chance to sort this out and take back control,” said former London mayor Boris Johnson, the main leader of the Leave campaign and favorite with bookmakers to replace Cameron in the event of Brexit.
Polling company ComRes said “Remain” now looked likely to win after it reported a 6 percentage point lead in a survey for the Daily Mail and broadcaster ITV.
Rainstorms were expected to dampen turnout in London and other parts of southern England.
There are no official exit polls because polling experts say the lack of recent comparable votes in Britain could make the results less reliable.
Results from polling will, however, be released shortly after the ballots close.
British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens over the age of 18 who live in Britain, as well as citizens of Gibraltar, are all eligible to vote after registration.
That means Cypriots and Maltese living in Britain can vote since their countries are members of the Commonwealth, as well as the European Union.
