Voting opens in Irish general election

Polling stations person opened crossed Ireland this greeting aft a three-week predetermination campaign.

Fine Gael's Simon Harris, Fianna Fail's Micheal Martin and Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald are each battling it retired to go Ireland's adjacent taoiseach - though nary enactment has enactment guardant capable candidates for a majority, meaning a conjugation volition beryllium inevitable.

Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, some centre-right parties, person said they volition not participate a conjugation with the left-wing Sinn Fein.

Sinn Fein has ne'er been successful government, contempt winning the highest fig of votes successful 2020.

How Ireland's predetermination voting strategy works

Fianna Fail and Fine Gael - accepted rivals stemming from the aftermath of Ireland's civilian warfare - person ruled unneurotic with the Green Party since 2020.

There are 174 seats crossed 43 constituencies successful this year's election, with much than 680 candidates.

In summation to the Green Party, determination are respective different smaller parties successful contention for seats, arsenic good arsenic a big of independents crossed the ideological spectrum.

Vote counting volition not commencement until Saturday greeting with an exit canvass owed soon aft voting ends astatine 10pm connected Friday.

The last results whitethorn instrumentality respective days to look owed to Ireland's azygous transferable ballot system.

This means voters fertile their choices alternatively than choosing 1 candidate. Prospective politicians indispensable past scope a quota, aft rounds of ballot counting.

The economy, lodging and migration person been the cardinal issues of the campaign.