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Voting is underway during the 2018 presidential election and the blasphemy referendum today.
The contenders for incumbent President Michael D Higgins have all taken part in the last-minute attempts to strengthen support.
However, Mr. Higgins chose not to organize campaign events on the last day.
Presidential candidate Peter Casey is committed to withdrawing here five years and to run for a second term when he is elected president.
Meeting with voters in Dublin, Casey said he would step down after five years to call an election, saying the seven-year term was too long, but that he would run for office again.
"The date of the next presidential election will be the date of the county council election.I will resign on May 23, 2024. I will resign at the appropriate time, whenever the appropriate notice will be", a- he declared.
At the same time, businessman Seán Gallagher called on broadcasters to review the way in which the presidential debates take place, calling them "joke".
He added that the debates should be modernized to allow for a part devoted to the candidate's vision and a separate part for the questions asked of the candidates "rather than trying to create a gladiatorial environment".
Joan Freeman said that she had not thought further about the results of this election when she was questioned about her political future, adding that she was "delighted" with her campaign .
The Higgins campaign warned against complacency in an email to fans.
In his closing statement, Gavin Duffy cited Brexit, climate change and social media issues as challenges that Ireland faces.
For her part, Liadh Ní Riada of Sinn Féin said she was committed to being a president who would lead the conversation on a united Ireland.
The vote began yesterday on the 11 occupied islands.
Islanders traditionally vote a day ahead of the rest of the country to ensure that there is no delay in the transfer of ballot boxes on the mainland.
In total, 2,601 inhabitants have the right to vote.
Vote today? Why there is no need to be confused by the process for one or the other vote
Irish citizens can vote in the presidential election and blasphemy referendum today.
More than 3.2 million people are eligible to vote.
Polling stations will be open from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm and voting cards have been issued to all voters.
You do not need an elector card to vote, but if you have not received one, you must contact your local authority and verify that you are registered.
The usual rules apply when voting, bring an ID and no political badge or clothing is allowed.
Selfies with your ballots are strictly prohibited. You will receive two ballot papers at the polling station.
Presidential election
There is only one position to gain here, and the electoral system is a variant of the PR-STV used in all other elections. The ballot will indicate the six candidates in alphabetical order, accompanied by photos.
On this occasion, none of the candidates will be affiliated to a party.
Liadh Ní Riada contests the election of Sinn Féin but chose not to use the logo of his party. Michael D Higgins was a Labor Party candidate in 2011, but resigned from his position at the time of his election, and on that occasion he used a specific clause in the Constitution that allows a sitting president to run.
You must rank the candidates in the order of your preferences. Just put the number "1" next to your favorite candidate and the number "2" next to your second favorite candidate, etc. You can rank as many candidates as you want.
Some voters may choose to cast a single preference while others prefer to vote until the end. It depends on each voter and there is no good or bad way.
Referendum on blasphemy
The referendum asks voters if they agree with the proposal to remove blasphemy as a violation of the Constitution.
Blasphemy is defined as "the act or offense of speaking in a sacrileous way about God or sacred things".
It was included in the original version of the 1937 Constitution, but the Constitutional Convention recommended its withdrawal and the government acted on its recommendation.
The campaign was very quiet because very few people oppose the proposal, but many who want to see it removed have not been sufficiently trained to do a lot of campaigning.
The design of all referendum ballots is defined in the law and, unfortunately, because of these requirements, ballots are not as clear to voters.
The ballot will indicate the title of the bill proposing to amend the Constitution, in this case the 37th amendment to the Constitution, and voters will be asked whether they agree or disagree with the proposal. If you agree with the removal of blasphemy, you must mark a clear X in the Yes box.
If you do not agree with the suppression of blasphemy, you must check a clear X in the No box.
Account
At the closing of the polls, all the ballot boxes will be transferred to the counting centers in the country. The ballot boxes will be open at 9 am on Saturdays.
First, the presidential and referendum polls will be separated, then the countdown will begin.
For the presidential election, all the votes of the number one for each candidate will be put in pile and then they will be counted.
To be elected, a candidate must meet a certain number of votes, called quota. The quota is calculated using a formula that includes the number of votes cast and the number of seats available.
On this occasion, there is only one seat, so it is very simple.
This could be a very unusual election, polls suggest that Michael D Higgins could be elected first.
Its current number of polls gives it support levels of between 65% and 70%, and if the polls result in votes, everything will be finished after the first count.
If there is a big surprise and Mr. Higgins does not reach the quota of the first leader, the candidate with the lowest number of votes will be eliminated and the second preference on his votes will be examined and added. in the package for the candidate who receives the preference.
These number two preferences then have the same weight as a number one.
The referendum count is very simple. The ballots are put in bundles Yes and No, counted and a simple majority applies.
– Dr. Theresa Reidy is a political scientist at University College Cork
Irish independent
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