Ireland Concludes Voting in Presidential Election

(MENAFN) Ireland concluded voting Friday in its presidential election, with citizens selecting the country's 10th head of state at 5,500 polling stations nationwide.

Ballot casting began at 7 a.m. local time (0600GMT) and wrapped up at 10 p.m. (2100GMT), bringing to a close a campaign featuring three officially nominated candidates.

Early reports indicated sluggish morning turnout that accelerated as the day progressed, with definitive participation numbers set to be released Saturday at 9 a.m. (0800GMT) when vote tabulation commences.

The victor will assume office Nov. 11 as Ireland's 10th president.

Fianna Fail's Jim Gavin, Fine Gael's Heather Humphreys, and independent contender Catherine Connolly appear on the ballot. Yet Gavin abandoned his candidacy following the nomination deadline, leaving his name printed—any votes he garners will be tallied and reallocated under Ireland's electoral mechanism.

The nation utilizes a proportional representation framework called the single transferable vote, instructing voters to rank candidates by preference: one, two, or three. Should no candidate achieve the necessary quota, the last-place competitor is removed and their votes are redistributed according to voters' subsequent preferences.

For tens of thousands of citizens, the election marks their first time casting a ballot.

Vote counting launches Saturday at 9 a.m. (0800GMT) when ballot boxes are opened.

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