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President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina casting their votes at St Mary’s Hospital in the Phoenix Park this morning Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

Turnout picks up in final hours of voting in elections and divorce referendum

Polling stations close at 10pm tonight.

LAST UPDATE | 24 May 2019

TURNOUT WAS LOW this morning as the Irish public went to cast their vote in the European and local elections, and the referendum on divorce – but picked up a bit in the evening as people returned from work.

Voters in Limerick, Waterford and Cork city are also voting to decide on whether or not they will have directly elected mayors.

Polling stations opened at 7am and will remain open until 10pm tonight.

The majority of voters will receive three ballot papers when they arrive at their polling station. If you want to see what they’ll look like before you go in, you’ll find them here

Figures from each of Ireland’s three European constituencies show that turnout remains low across the country.

RTÉ reported that turnout in Dublin stood at between 2.4% and 9% by lunchtime; this had increased to 17%-50% by 9pm.

The Turnout in Cavan was around 8-9% according to RTÉ, 12-14% in Monaghan, 8%-18% in Louth, 8%-9% in Meath, and up to 17% in Limerick

Stronger figures are being reported in Ireland South and Midlands North West, which are showing turnouts ranging from 30s to the mid-50s. Turnouts are reported to be highest in the west of the country.

Up to 30% of the electorate in Clare had turned out to vote by 6pm, and voting stations were “starting to get very busy”, according to Clare FM.

Meanwhile, Galway has quite a high turnout of between 40% to 54%. Sligo has seen a voter turnout or between 53% to 55%.

In Donegal, turnout was between 35% to 51% by 9pm, (it had been at 15% at lunchtime).

Turnout in Kerry had been quite low, averaging 28%. Local news sources also reported a similar uptake in figures in Kilkenny (from 19% to up to 55%).

Voting has been quite high in Waterford (up to 44%), Wexford (up to 56%) and Wicklow (between 46% and 49%).

004 Taoiseach votes_90571649 Taoiseach Leo Varadkar casting his vote in Scoil Thomáis, in Castleknock, Dublin this morning LEAH FARRELL LEAH FARRELL

By comparison, last year’s presidential election saw a national turnout of just over 56%, while the figure for the referendum on the 8th amendment last May was over 64%.

However, turnout for the local and European elections is traditionally lower, dropping to 51% in 2014.

Today’s figure will also increase significantly after 5pm, when voters cast their ballots after they finish work.

vote 016_90571643 Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald TD casting her vote in St Joseph's School in Cabra, Dublin earlier. Sam Boal Sam Boal

An exit poll on the results of the European and local elections and the divorce referendum is expected before midnight.

RTÉ and TG4 will announce the result of their Red C exit poll, and the results will be read by David McCullagh and Páidí Ó Lionaird live on The Late Late Show tonight.

Ballot boxes will be opened at 9am tomorrow and results will begin to emerge across the country tomorrow, continuing into Sunday, but it may be early next week before the final results are all confirmed.

With reporting from Michelle Hennessy and Gráinne Ní Aodha.

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    Mute Celtic Eagle
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    Oct 1st 2022, 7:07 PM

    He forgot problem creators.. Which they are guilty

    391
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    Mute Frank Cauldhame
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    Oct 1st 2022, 7:40 PM

    @Celtic Eagle: Sorry pal but going by MM’s personal theory YOU SIR are a problem exploiter because erm, there is no middle ground, but don’t you fret none because under those very terms you are also a problem solver

    56
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    Mute Stephen Deegan
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    Oct 1st 2022, 8:54 PM

    @Frank Cauldhame: Too much free drink at the ard feis, there frank? Take it easy now, some of you might have to do an interview in the morning.

    51
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    Mute Paul Byrne
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    Oct 1st 2022, 7:30 PM

    He bankrupted our country

    241
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    Mute Don Hogan
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    Oct 1st 2022, 7:46 PM

    @Paul Byrne: You obviously do not read newspapers or listen to TV or radio.net news. Ireland is not bankrupt. It has a 6 billion surplus this year. Guess you never heard of the Celtic Tiger and the bank bail out. Your lack of knowledge about economic matters is shameful.

    50
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    Mute M Bowe
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    Oct 1st 2022, 7:51 PM

    @Don Hogan: convenient of you to have forgotten the € 60 odd Billion yet to be repaid for the bank bail out.

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    Mute Patricia O'Brien
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    Oct 1st 2022, 7:55 PM

    @Don Hogan: if we have 6 billion surplus, how come our housing, our homeless, healhcare, our elderly our carers i could go on, are in such dire need ? Answer me that?

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Oct 1st 2022, 7:56 PM

    @Don Hogan: Would that be the same bank bailout that Martin stated never happened.

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    Mute M Bowe
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    Oct 1st 2022, 8:21 PM

    @Paul Hedderman: false. The bail out loans were restructured under Noonan and spread out over 40 years. Which the next 2 generations are saddled with. The troika loans amounted to €67.5 billion. The Nama payments barely cover interest payments or non troika loans.

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    Mute Paul Linehan
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    Oct 1st 2022, 9:06 PM

    @Paul Hedderman: ’250+ billion debt to do with govt general mismanagement of finances over the years’…… Would you like to enlighten us as to who was in government for those years? No worries, we already know the culprits.

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    Mute Paul Hedderman
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    Oct 1st 2022, 9:36 PM

    @Paul Linehan: Yep, majority of isnt bailout which is the point.

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    Mute Paul Linehan
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    Oct 1st 2022, 9:47 PM

    @Paul Hedderman: But what parties mismanaged the country’s finances to give us a 250+billion deficit over the last 100 or so years?

    33
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    Mute M Bowe
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    Oct 1st 2022, 7:35 PM

    The paragraph about 6000 houses and SF objections, with added caption that fact checkers previously found the claim misleading sums up the fake narrative of FF and Micheal Martin.
    How does false narratives solve anything????

    150
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    Mute Paul Byrne
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    Oct 1st 2022, 7:29 PM

    What a muppet

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    Mute Dave Byrne
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    Oct 1st 2022, 7:37 PM

    No story still from the Journal about the laptop seized by the Gardai?

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    Mute Dearbhla O Reilly
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    Oct 1st 2022, 7:42 PM

    @Dave Byrne: which?

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    Mute Dave Byrne
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    Oct 1st 2022, 8:08 PM
    33
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    Mute a politicians promise is as good as a lie
    Favourite a politicians promise is as good as a lie
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    Oct 1st 2022, 7:12 PM

    That’s a very Binary definition Mr Martin.. I thought in this time of woke theology there would be many different kinds of political ideas and definitions of people rather than just 2

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    Mute Don Hogan
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    Oct 1st 2022, 7:42 PM

    @a politicians promise is as good as a lie: Woke theory is a pile of rubbish designed to let people off the hook for their own failings and mistakes.

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    Mute Michael Griffin
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    Oct 1st 2022, 11:54 PM

    Why is an English pension fund buying up properties and leasing them back to the government on a 20 year lease and still owning the property, while this government keep paying the bill.

    52
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    Mute William Houlihan
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    Oct 1st 2022, 10:49 PM

    He conceded that homelessness was unacceptable, and still he has confidence in o’brien. Well holy God….

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    Mute Fintan O'Halloran
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    Oct 1st 2022, 7:09 PM

    Exploiting a business opportunity is not wrong Michael. Denis O’Brien serviced the need for water meters when it was required by government. The whole point of business is to exploit an opportunity. So such a statement is ludicrous

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    Mute Tom Kelly
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    Oct 1st 2022, 9:28 PM

    Problem solvers.. lol

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    Mute David Van-Standen
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    Oct 1st 2022, 11:13 PM

    Where exactly these alleged problem solving politicians?

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    Mute Verners Tess
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    Oct 1st 2022, 9:53 PM

    Why is it that politicians, who create our problems, are the same people to solve them?

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    Mute Rob Duggan
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    Oct 1st 2022, 7:47 PM

    Very true. He is doing an excellent job and is a steady mature leader in a time of paid actors.

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    Mute Tom Bombdadil
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    Oct 1st 2022, 10:00 PM

    When you think of FF:FG it always reminds me of only fools and horses, when trigger has had the same broom for years

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    Mute John Gaughan
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    Oct 1st 2022, 7:48 PM

    We are the best little country in Europe

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    Mute Will Roche
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    Oct 1st 2022, 8:47 PM

    Not sure Ukraine is regarded as a small nation.

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    Mute Christopher Byrne
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 8:13 AM

    FF like FG are irrelevant. They ill be both annihilated at the next election. The boomers who’ve blindly vited them in for the last 40yrs are on the way out. The youth see them for what they are.

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    Mute Liam OhArgadain
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 8:27 PM

    Leave it to the keyboard Warriors!

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