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Turnout would be low in many parts of the country as voters go to the polls during the presidential and blasphemy referendums.
The polls opened at 7 am this morning and will remain so until 10 pm tonight.
By mid-day, the turnout rate across the country was very low.
However, overall, the figures suggest that the turnout could be comparable to that of the last presidential election of 2011.
President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina were among the first voters to visit their local polling station in Phoenix Park this morning.
He returned his passport to formally identify with the returning officers of St Mary's Hospital, built by the British in 1769 and named Royal Hibernian Military School. It is currently used as a retirement home.
Michael D then stowed his passport in the inner pocket of his dark suit before taking his ballots for the presidential election and the blasphemy referendum.
He asked if they had "a few" to vote in the morning and polling station members answered "a few".
Sabina was the first to vote, while Michael D smiled as he put his ballots in the box.
Then the couple went to greet the staff at St Mary's Hospital.
Photo: Tony Gavin
"President, good luck today," someone says to him.
"You are all so lovely to go out," said Sabina.
"There is our president," said Anthony Errity, a physiotherapist and occupational therapist at the hospital.
"I hope he'll be home – he's a gentleman," he said afterwards.
He was with the chief gardener, Danny McCarthy, who said he always attended the president's vote. He had also been invited to two receptions hosted by presidents, Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese, when he had represented Ireland at the Paralympic Games for cross country and football. .
Shortly after, presidential candidate Joan Freeman went to vote, with her husband Paddy, his daughters Marie, Aislinne, Siobhan and his grandchildren, Saoirse and Grace, for moral support.
In pink tweed costume, she was applauded when she arrived at the Scoil Mhuire Counting Center at Airlie Heights in Lucan, County Dublin.
Returning Officer Brian Dempsey said polling station turnout was still above the national average and was stable this morning.
"There will be another push in the evening when people have finished working," he said.
Joan said that she would celebrate with her family, regardless of the outcome.
"It is in the hands of God that will happen at this stage," she said. "Thanks to all the people who have me rooted."
When asked if the process had been a learning curve, she replied, "Absolutely. This has made me understand that there are times when we have to dig deep and times when we can be scared and, whenever I think about it, starting from now, I will think of people who have been very afraid. "
"And just to give them the message you can go through anyway," she added.
She said she did not regret the future: "There are only 22 names of people on the ballots for the presidential elections. Being part of these people is still a privilege in itself, "she said.
Tomorrow, she intends to attend the count and celebrate with her family, whatever the result: "Because we have already won in many ways."
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