More than 100,000 people have applied to register to vote in the past 48 hours, with young people making up the bulk of the surge.
On Monday, 52,408 applications were submitted, according to government figures, followed by 64,485 on Tuesday.
The figure on both days, against a backdrop of momentous political events at Westminster, was significantly above the typical number for weekday applications, which has been averaging at about 27,000 for the past month.
Parties that have traditionally drawn support from younger people will be most encouraged by the figures, which show that 58% of applications submitted in the past two days were from people aged 34 and under. Many are understood to be students moving into new areas for the start of term.
The percentage of people aged 65 and over, who are statistically more likely to vote Conservative, applying was just over 7%.
By contrast, the two largest groups by age were 25-34, who numbered more than 19,800 on Tuesday, and those aged under 25, who made up more than 17,000 on the same day.
The deadline for applying to register to vote would be 27 September if a snap general election were to take place on 15 October, as Downing Street is understood to be planning.
he surge in youth registration was welcomed in particular by pro-remain campaigners, who have been using social media to encourage registration in anticipation of a ballot.
Describing the 48-hour increase as “great news”, the actor and comedian Rob Delaney tweeted: “No-deal Brexiteers’ greatest fears are new voters and young voters.”
Hope Not Hate, which has been involved in voter registration drives as part of its campaign work, said: “It’s critical that young people register to vote because right now they’re needed more than ever to stand up for a tolerant and inclusive society.”
“All our work and research shows that it’s young people who most believe in a country where everyone who lives here feels welcome, and where there is friendship and understanding between communities.”
Dr Emily Rainsford of Newcastle University, an expert in youth political participation, said the figures were significant but they should be read with some caution in terms of their potential electoral impact.
“There is an increase in political engagement when the stakes seem to be higher or events are seen as directly affecting you, but it’s across the board. You tend to see a pronounced interest from young people in voter registration for example, but older people will also be motivated and that tends not to show until an election itself,” she said.
Rainsford said there had been similar surges in registration in the past, such as in June 2016 when the government website crashed hours before the deadline to vote in the EU referendum.
