Referenda can be held at a range of local, regional or national levels
A referendum is when some level of government, including the local council or the UK government, asks the electorate a single question with two possible answers.
As with the 2016 referendum on membership of the European Union, the Electoral Commission normally selects two official campaigns to lead the for and against campaigns.
There are currently no referenda planned in the UK were electors in Kirkby are eligible to vote.
The Referendum on Membership of the European Union
A referendum was held on Thursday 23rd June 2016 asking:
Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?
The UK decided to leave the European Union. The result of the referendum was:
| Number of votes | % of potential votes | % of actual votes | |
| Registered voters | 46,500,001 | 100% | n/a |
| Votes not cast | 12,922,659 | 27.79% | n/a |
| Total votes cast | 33,577,342 | 72.21% | 100.00% |
| Invalid or blank votes | 25,359 | 0.05% | 0.08% |
| Valid votes | 33,551,983 | 72.15% | 99.92% |
| Remain a member of the European Union | 16,141,241 | 34.71% | 48.11% |
| Leave the European Union | 17,410,742 | 37.44% | 51.89% |
The Referendum on the Alternative Vote
A referendum was held on Thursday 5th May 2011 on a proposed change to the electoral system for the UK parliament, asking:
At present, the UK uses the “first past the post” (FPTP) system to elect MPs to the House of Commons. Should the “alternative vote” (AV) system be used instead?
The UK decided to reject the Alternative Vote proposal. The result of the referendum was:
| Number of votes | % of potential votes | % of actual votes | |
| Registered voters | 45,684,501 | 100% | n/a |
| Votes not cast | 26,405,479 | 57.80% | n/a |
| Total votes cast | 19,279,022 | 42.20% | 100.00% |
| Invalid or blank votes | 113,292 | 0.25% | 0.59% |
| Valid votes | 19,165,730 | 41.95% | 99.41% |
| Yes | 6,152,607 | 13.47% | 32.10% |
| No | 13,013,123 | 28.48% | 67.90% |