Record-breaking numbers apply to register to vote ahead of deadline

It is the largest volume of applications submitted in a single day since registration data was first published in June 2014.

This is higher than the 622,398 on deadline day for the 2017 general election, and 485,012 on the equivalent day for the 2015 poll.

Overall some 3.85 million applications have been submitted since October 29 this year – the day that MPs voted to hold an election on December 12.

Of that number, 37% have been submitted by people aged under 25, while 30% have come from people aged 25 to 34.

By contrast, just 4% were from people aged 65 and over.

The number of applications to vote is not the same as the number of new people joining the electoral register.

They are merely applications to join the register, which have yet to be approved or rejected.

Typically, these include a lot of people who are already on the register, or who are not eligible to vote – so the number of new voters able to take part in the election on December 12 is likely to be somewhat smaller than the total applications.