<P> Prior to being officially announced, it was widely speculated that a June date for the referendum was a serious possibility . The First Ministers of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales co-signed a letter to Cameron asking him not to hold the referendum in June, as devolved elections were scheduled to take place the previous month . These elections had been postponed for a year to avoid a clash with the 2015 general election, after Westminster had implemented the Fixed - term Parliament Act . Cameron refused this request, saying people were able to make up their own minds in multiple elections spaced a short time from each other . </P> <P> In February 2016, Cameron announced that the UK Government would formally recommend to the British people that the UK should remain a member of a reformed European Union and that the referendum would be held on 23 June, marking the official launch of the campaign . He also announced that Parliament would enact secondary legislation on 22 February relating to the European Union Referendum Act 2015 . With the official launch, ministers of the UK Government were then free to campaign on either side of the argument in a rare exception to Cabinet collective responsibility . </P> <P> The right to vote in the referendum in the United Kingdom is defined by the legislation as limited to residents of the United Kingdom who were either also Commonwealth citizens under the British Nationality Act 1948 (which include British citizens and other British nationals), or those who were also citizens of the Republic of Ireland, or both . Members of the House of Lords, who could not vote in general elections, were able to vote in the referendum . </P> <P> Residents of the United Kingdom who were citizens of other EU countries were not allowed to vote unless they were citizens (or were also citizens) of the Republic of Ireland, of Malta, or of the Republic of Cyprus . </P>

Who was allowed to vote in the brexit referendum
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