Residents on Inishfree Island, off the Donegal coast cast their votes on Wednesday More than three million voters in the Republic of Ireland are set to go to the polls later in the country’s first general election since it was bailed out by the EU and the IMF.
Voting begins at 0700 GMT and finishes at 2200 GMT. Polls opened on some of the country’s islands on Wednesday.
There are 566 candidates fighting in 43 constituencies for 165 seats in the Irish parliament (Dail Eireann).
Irish parliamentary speaker Ceann Comhairle is automatically returned.
The country negotiated an 85bn-euro (£72bn) EU/IMF loan package in November.
A record 233 independents, including those in smaller parties, are standing, but only 85 female candidates (15% of those contesting the election) are seeking seats in the 31st Dail.
The Irish use the system of proportional representation to elect members of parliament rather than the first-past-the-post method, which is the norm in most democracies.
There are 6,000 polling booths around the country.
The counting of votes will get underway at 0900 GMT on Saturday in 35 count centres and trends should become clear in the early afternoon before declarations are formally made.
The 31st Dail will meet on 9 March when the newly elected Taoiseach will announce the members of the new government, before heading to the home of Irish President Mary McAleese who will present ministers with their seals of office.
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