Re: validity of the Brexit vote
Are referenda covered by the same laws as elections?
That's beside the point; the referendum was explicitly advisory, so May was not bound in any way to act on the results. Basically, the decision to leave the EU was hers, and not the British people's. Her decision was based on an understanding that the British people did want to leave, but not contingent upon it, so even if the referendum was shown to be completely rigged, she'd still be head-down charging forward at the brick wall.