Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email
More than 300,000 people, including over 200,000 under-35s, registered to vote in the general election on Friday in the fourth-largest surge in UK political history.
The 308,000 total broke the record for applications on a single day before the final deadline to sign up. It was beaten only by deadline days ahead of general elections in 2017 – when a record 622,389 signed up – and 2015 as well as the EU referendum in 2016.
Campaigners are hoping to maintain momentum up to the final 26 November deadline for entries on the electoral roll for the 12 December election, in a bid to reach millions of people who are still not signed up.
The race to join the electoral roll took place on the unofficial National Voter Registration Day declared by campaigners and backed by civil society groups and trade unions with the social-media hashtag #RegisterToVote.
General election: Facts and figuresShow all 79 1 /79General election: Facts and figures General election: Facts and figures General election 2019 opinion polls
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Estimated declaration time
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures 'Big beasts' at risk
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Smallest majorities at 2017 general election
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Turnout at UK general elections
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures General election 2019 poll of polls
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Vote shares at general elections since 1945
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Seats to watch in North-west England
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Women MPs at UK general elections
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures General election 2019 leaders' visits - Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Boris Johnson's campaign visits so far
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Jeremy Corbyn's campaign visits so far
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Pound v dollar
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures General election 2019 opinion polls in Wales
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Seats to watch in London
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Seats to watch in Wales
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Seats to watch in Eastern England
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures General election 2019 leaders' visits so far
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Seats to watch in south-east England
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures General election 2019 leaders' visits
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Historic Labour seats at risk
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Opinion polls (one week to go) v election result 2017
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures General election 2019 polls in Scotland
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Opinion polls (one week to go) v election result 2015
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Seats to watch in West Midlands
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Bellwether seats
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Conservative top targets
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures General election 2019 polls in London
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Leaders' approval ratings, July-December
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Seats to watch in Yorkshire
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures General election 2019 timetable
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Labour top targets
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Seats to watch in north-east England
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures When parliamentary seats last changed hands
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Seats to watch in the East Midlands
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Seats to watch in south-west England
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Planned increase in day-to-day departmental spending
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Corporation tax rates
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Opinion polls (two weeks to go) v election result 2017
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Opinion polls (two weeks to go) v election result 2015
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Applications to register to vote
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures How many women MPs could there be after the election?
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures General election 2019 opinion polls in Wales
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures A comparison of the length of the manifestos of the main parties
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Mentions of key words in the main party manifestos
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Mentions of key words in the main party manifestos
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Leaders' approval ratings, July-November
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Council houses built in the UK 1951-2018
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Council houses built in the UK
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Opinion polls (three weeks to go) v election result 2015
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Opinion polls (three weeks to go) v election result 2017
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures General election 2019 target seats
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Lib Dem targets
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures SNP targets
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Plaid Cymru targets
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Prime ministers with shortest time in office
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Applications to register to vote
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Major toll roads & bridges in Great Britain
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Police workforce in England and Wales
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Police officers in England and Wales
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Police-recorded homicides in England and Wales
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Knife crime offences recorded by police in England and Wales
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Opinion polls in 2019
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Number of candidates per seat
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Candidates standing in the 2019 General Election
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Candidates at UK general elections since 1979
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Women candidates at the 2019 General Election
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Prime ministers with smallest constituency majorities to defend
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Cost of administering polls since 2010
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures People's Vote group priority list of recommended candidates in key target seats
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures MPs retiring from the House of Commons at general elections
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Lib Dems/Plaid Cymru/Green pact in Wales
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Lib Dems/Green pact in England, seats where Greens have stood down in favour of Lib Dems
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Lib Dems/Green pact in England
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Nationality of NHS workforce in England
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Proportion of NHS workforce in England who are not UK nationals
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Long-term net migration to the UK
Press Association Images
General election: Facts and figures Shortest parliamentary sessions since First World War
Press Association Images
Among those signing up were 103,000 under-25s, 103,000 25- to 34-year-olds, 53,000 35- to 44-year-olds, 28,500 45- to 54 year-olds and around 20,000 over-54s.
The figures, released by the Cabinet Office, represent a boost for Jeremy Corbyn ’s Labour Party, which enjoys its strongest support among younger generations and backed yesterday’s registration drive. Some of those applying are likely already to be registered on the system.
The party will be hoping the numbers may help it recreate the “youthquake” effect credited by some for boosting its vote in 2017.
Mr Corbyn said: “Yesterday Labour got behind National Voter Registration Day – unlike the Conservatives – because we want you to have a say in the future of our country.
“And more than 300,000 people registered to vote. Make sure you can have your say on 12th December.”
An Electoral Commission spokesperson said: “It’s great to see so many organisations working alongside us to encourage people to register to vote. These efforts are clearly delivering results.
“However, with up to one in six people potentially unregistered there is more work to do to ensure that they can register by the 26 November deadline. It only takes five minutes to register at gov.uk/register-to-vote .”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies