Fact box about Britain's EU referendum
(chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2016-06-22 21:25
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Two activists with the EU flag and Union Jack painted on their faces kiss each other in front of Brandenburg Gate to protest against the British exit from the European Union, in Berlin, Germany, June 19, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] |
Data collected from the 382 local voting areas shows the provisional size of the UK and Gibraltar electorate as 46,499,537. This figure is the total number of electors eligible to vote in Thursday's poll.
* Up to 14 per cent of voters still don't know which side to choose.
* The estimated time for the national declaration is around breakfast time on Friday 24 June, although there is considerable uncertainty about when this will be given that it is dependent on all 382 local totals being declared.
* The results themselves will come in during a frantic three-hour period on Friday morning, between 4am and 7am; by breakfast time, the result of the EU referendum should be known.
* Northern Ireland, London and Sunderland should be the first to announce their results according to the EU Referendum Timing and Venue document published by the Electoral Commission.
Key Dates
* Thursday June 23, Date of the in/out referendum
The Brexit campaign is in full swing ahead of the EU referendum on Thursday June 23. Polling stations will open at 7am and close at 10pm.
* Friday June 24, National declaration of the referendum result
The national declaration of the referendum result is expected to take place at around breakfast time on Friday June 24.
Expect celebrations from the winning side, speeches by political leaders in the UK and responses from the EU and its member states.
Brexit: What to expect on the first day
The count for the EU referendum will begin at 382 venues across the UK soon after polling stations close their doors at 10pm on Thursday June 23.
Local and regional results will come in overnight before the national declaration of the result, which is expected at around breakfast time on Friday June 24.
If Britain does vote to leave the EU, the result will prompt huge celebrations among Brexit campaigners and Eurosceptics across Britain.
Anti-EU politicians throughout Europe will also welcome Brexit and will seize on the result in order to further their own causes and push for independence.
EU leaders will immediately be forced into damage control and are likely to issue a response in a bid to defend the integrity of the European bloc.
Mr. Tusk told German newspaper Bild that Europe's "external enemies will open a bottle of champagne" to celebrate a Brexit, adding, "We should do everything to spoil that party."
A Brexit result would also send shockwaves through the global economy and is likely to lead to a further drop in the value of the pound. Britain's currency has already weakened ahead of the referendum.
But Ukip leader Nigel Farage said, "Even if sterling were to fall a few percentage points after Brexit, so what? The point is we have a floating currency and it will be good for exports."
Straight after the EU referendum, eurozone finance ministers could hold emergency meeting as they did in response to the debt crisis and snap referendum in Greece last year.
