Polls open as Britons vote in historic Brexit referendum

Polls are open in the Brexit referendum — (Image credit: Geoff Caddick/AFP/Getty Images)

At 7 a.m. in London on Thursday, polls opened in the momentous referendum on whether the UK should remain in the European Union or leave. Almost 46.5 million people in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Gibraltar are eligible to vote in the Brexit referendum, just the third nationwide referendum the UK has ever held. Polls close at 10 p.m. in Britain, and the Electoral Commission says the final results should be in "around breakfast time" on Friday.

Polls are very tight, and the Brexit issue has sharply divided Britain, especially the ruling Conservative Party. Prime Minister David Cameron, leading the Remain campaign, says EU membership makes Britain safer and wealthier; the Leave side argues that quitting the EU will restore UK sovereignty over several issues, notably immigration.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.