European referendum – the electoral timetable
Extracted from the Electoral Commission’s timetable.
| Event | Working days before poll (deadline if not midnight) | Date
|
| Application period for designation as lead campaigner opens | N/A | Friday 4 March |
| Application period for designation as lead campaigner closes | N/A | Thursday 31 March |
| Statutory deadline for designation of lead campaigners | N/A | Thursday 14 April |
| Launch of public awareness campaign | Between five and six weeks | Sunday 15 May |
| Launch of first phase of public awareness campaign Door-drop of public information booklet begins | Between five and six weeks | Monday 16 May |
| Publication of notice of referendum | Not later than 25 days; on the date specified by the CCO | Tuesday 17 May |
| Delivery of poll cards to electors | As soon as practicable after the publication of the notice of referendum; within a period of five working days starting with the day after the last date for publication of the notice of referendum | Between Wednesday 18 May and Tuesday 24 May |
| Despatch of postal votes to overseas addresses | Within a period of five days starting with the day which is four days after the last date for publication of the notice of referendum; must not be issued so as to be received before 28 calendar days before the poll | Between Monday 23 May and Friday 27 May |
| Publication of first interim referendum notice of alteration (excluding Northern Ireland) | 19 days | Wednesday 25 May |
| Postal votes delivered to electors at UK addresses | Within a period of five days starting with the day which is eight days after the last date for publication of the notice of referendum; must not be issued so as to be received before 28 calendar days before the poll | Between Friday 27 May and Friday 3 June |
| Phase one of public awareness campaign ends | Three-and-a-half weeks | Saturday 28 May |
| Phase two of public awareness campaign begins | Three-and-a-half weeks | Sunday 29 May |
| Deadline for the notification of appointment of referendum agents | 16 days (noon) | Noon on Tuesday 31 May |
| Publication of notice of poll and situation of polling stations | Not later than 15 days | Not later than Wednesday 1 June |
| Deadline for receiving new postal vote, postal proxy and proxy vote applications, and for changes to existing postal or proxy votes (Northern Ireland only) | 14 days (5pm) (Gibraltar bank and public holidays are not disregarded) | 5pm on Friday 3 June |
| Phase two (and all registration messaging) of public awareness campaign ends | 13 days (Day before registration deadline) | Monday 6 June |
| Phase three of public awareness campaign begins | 12 days (day of registration deadline) | Tuesday 7 June |
| Deadline for receiving applications for registration | 12 days (Gibraltar bank and public holidays are not disregarded) | Tuesday 7 June (note – after problems with the online registration website, this was extended to midnight on 9 June except in Northern Ireland) |
| Deadline for receiving new postal vote and postal proxy applications, and for changes to existing postal or proxy votes (excluding Northern Ireland) | 11 days (5pm) (Gibraltar bank and public holidays are not disregarded) | 5pm on Wednesday 8 June |
| Deadline for receiving new applications to vote by post or proxy on the grounds of health or employment as a constable or by the Counting Officer (Northern Ireland only) | 6 days (5pm) | 5pm on Wednesday 15 June |
| Deadline for receiving new applications to vote by proxy (not postal proxy or emergency proxies) (excluding Northern Ireland) | 6 days (5pm) | 5pm on Wednesday 15 June |
| Publication of second interim referendum notice of alteration (excluding Northern Ireland) | Between 18 days and 6 days | Between Thursday 26 May and Wednesday 15 June (inclusive) |
| Publication of final referendum notice of alteration | 5 days | Thursday 16 June |
| Deadline for notification of appointment of polling and counting agents | 5 days | Thursday 16 June |
| First date that electors can apply for a replacement for lost postal votes (excluding Northern Ireland) | 4 days | Friday 17 June |
| Last time for receipt of spoilt postal votes in time for postal votes to be re-issued (Northern Ireland only) | 1 day (5pm) | 5pm on Wednesday 22 June |
| Polling day | 0 (7am to 10pm) | 7am to 10pm on Thursday 23 June |
| Phase three of public awareness campaign – and all activity – ends | 0 (5pm) | 5pm on Thursday 23 June |
| Last time for re-issue of spoilt or lost postal votes (excluding Northern Ireland) | 0 (5pm) | 5pm on Thursday 23 June |
| Deadline for emergency proxy applications (excluding Northern Ireland) | 0 (5pm) | 5pm on Thursday 23 June |
| Last time to alter the register due to clerical error or court appeal (Northern Ireland only) | 0 (7pm) | 7pm on Thursday 23 June |
| Last time to alter the register due to clerical error or court appeal (excluding Northern Ireland) | 0 (9pm) | 9pm on Thursday 23 June |
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