Ballot Counting Begins for Local and European Elections in Ireland

Ballot boxes are set to be opened at 9am this morning, marking the start of the vote counting process for the local and European elections taking place this weekend.

Once opened, votes will be sorted into piles for the local elections, the European Parliament elections, and the Limerick mayoral election.

The official count for the local elections will begin today. For the European elections, counting starts tomorrow, with results embargoed until after 10pm, once all EU polling stations have closed. Counting for the Limerick mayoral race is expected to commence on Monday.

Early tally results for the local elections are anticipated to emerge throughout the morning, while tallies for the Limerick mayoral race will also be conducted.

However, tallying for the European elections may be more challenging, though sample results from various regions could surface.

Voter turnout increased steadily yesterday afternoon after a slow start in the morning.

This marks the first nationwide elections in over four years, with more than 3.7 million people registered for the local elections, which will elect 949 councillors across 166 local electoral areas.

Nearly 3.6 million voters are registered for the European elections, where they will choose 14 members of the European Parliament from Ireland South, Midlands-North-West, and Dublin constituencies.