Election 2024 live updates: Party leaders speak of ‘hope’ as they cast votes

Voting is under way in the 2024 general election. Polling stations around the country opened at 7am and close at 10pm, at which time The Irish Times will publish an exit poll, indicating which way the electorate is leaning.
Pat Leahy reports that Fine Gael, Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil appear to be in a near dead heat at the end of the campaign, with a surge in late voter registrations adding to the unpredictability of the outcome.
More from Harry McGee on how the smaller parties might do.
SOCIAL DEMOCRATS
The party is polling very strongly and looks like it will make gains. It has three strong targets, and another seven constituencies where it might gain on a very good day. Could be the dark horse among the smaller parties.
MAIN TARGETS
POSSIBLE TARGETS
POTENTIAL LOSSES
Dublin North West: Róisín Shortall’s retirement leaves a big gap and Rory Hearne has his work cut out to retain it. But he is high profile and with his party showing 12 per cent support levels in Dublin in The Irish Times poll, he will be in the mix.
Dublin Central: Another high profile figure, Gary Gannon, faces stiff competition in an unpredictable constituency where transfers will be everything. He looks like he might just survive.
SOLIDARITY-PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT
MAIN TARGET
POTENTIAL LOSSES
AONTÚ:
MAIN TARGETS:
Sinn Féin’s housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin has said that ‘the latest rise in homeless numbers confirms why a change of government is needed.
“Once again, the number of adults, children, single people, and families without a home has increased. And this just weeks after the Government announced its record giveaway budget. The latest rise in homeless numbers confirms why we need a change of Government.
“As people go to the polls throughout today, they should ask themselves do they want another five years of rising homelessness. Because that is what they will get it Fianna Fail and Fine Gael go back into Government,” he continued.
We will report any other responses as they come in.
The number of people in homeless accommodation in the State has reached another record high and is now at almost 15,000 people.
There were 14,966 people homeless in October, consisting of 10,321 adults and 4,645 children under the age of 18, from 2,161 families.
It amounts to an increase of 1.4 per cent on the 14,760 people accessing emergency accommodation in September.
The homelessness figures have increased year on year by 13.5 per cent. There were 13,179 people in homelessness in October last year.
Opposition parties, especially Sinn Féin, had called for the figures to be published in advance of the general election.
However, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien said the publication of the figures were the sole responsibility of his department.
The homelessness figures for the previous month are normally published by the Department of Housing on the last Friday of the following month.
Harry McGee has done a breakdown of how the election might shake up for some parties.
GREEN PARTY
It’s a battle for survival for the Green Party. It has no strong targets and all its potential gains are long shots. Only two of its TDs, Catherine Martin and Roderic O’Gorman look safe. It is in real trouble in five constituencies and will be in battles in another five.
POSSIBLE GAINS
SERIOUS RISK OF LOSS
POTENTIAL LOSSES
In the Sandymount area of Dublin Bay South constituency the turn out was at 20 per cent by 12.30 pm. Officials say is “well above” the turnout rate at the same time for the local and European elections.
More news on turnouts around the country from Jade Wilson.
Turnout across polling stations in Galway West is currently 8 per cent to 14 per cent at, while Galway East count centres have turnouts of 11 per cent to 16 per cent.
Turnout in rural Mayo polling stations is currently 9 to 18 per cent, and between 9 and 12.3 per cent in urban Mayo.
In Dundalk, some of the rural polling stations are now seeing over 20 per cent turnout.
Kilcurry polling station has a turnout of 28 per cent, and Sheelagh has 22 per cent so far.
In urban Dundalk, turnout is currently between 12.5-15 per cent.
We have some very good news from the leader of one party which we really must share while stressing it should not be taken as an indication of any bias on our part.
The President, Michael D Higgins cast his vote in the Phoenix Park this morning.
Some more turnout news from Jade Wilson, this time from Cavan.
At Bailieborough count centre, the turnout at 10am was 6 per cent.
In Ballyjamesduff, it was 8 per cent.
By 11am, turnout at St Clare’s count centre in Cavan was 9.17 per cent.
And the turnout for Virginia in Co Cavan at 12pm is 14.14 per cent.
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has cast her vote in at the Deaf Village in Cabra.
“We’ve lost count of the number of conversations that we’ve had with people with disabilities, children waiting and waiting for services, and that is really hard and really unacceptable, but we need to mark today with a note of optimism and hope and confidence and ambition, because today is election day,” she said.
“And the great beauty of this, and it’s a moment of almost, of actual unique equality for every citizen, because your vote holds exactly the same weight, whether you’re down on your luck and you’re struggling, or if you’re a multi millionaire, your vote carries equal weight.
“So this is the moment where people can really shape the next government, and we need a new government, but really have your say on an equal basis. So I always think that that’s a really positive thing.”
Have you ever wondering what overseas journalists make of our somewhat complicated voting system?
And how are international media organisations covering the elections here? Sarah Burns has been finding out.
Jade Wilson has a fresh update on turnout in Dublin and Kildare.
As of 9.30am this morning, voting constituencies across Dublin City had an average turnout of 3.68 per cent, with the exact turnouts for each constituency in the area below.
Dublin North West: 3.8 per cent
Dublin Bay North: 2.4 per cent
Dublin Central: 4.5 per cent
Dublin Bay South: 5.15 per cent
Dublin South Central: 2.55 per cent
Across Kildare North and South at the same time, there was an average turnout between 5 per cent and 6 per cent.
The next check with returning officers will be at around 12.30pm, we’re told.
The Tanaiste and Fianna Fail leader Micheál Martin has said today is not the day to talk about the exact make-up of any future government.
Barry Roche reports that when he was asked if he would be happy to be a rotating Taoiseach after the election he said “we’re not getting into that today. The people are voting today. Let’s have respect for the people.”
He said he was “fighting to be Taoiseach, I’m campaigning to be Taoiseach after the next election, but nothing is certain until every vote is counted. And then there is the aftermath of election in terms of what happens within Dail Eireann itself.
So there is a lot of hard work ahead, but certainly I did have a good feeling in the last two to three days in terms of the response that I was getting after the debates.
He said the decision is “now in the hands of the people. We can’t be predicting anything now, at this stage, other than that, we fought a positive campaign. We’ve got a good response.”
There is some talk of turnout coming in. It is very early in the day and across the country between 3 and 5 per cent of the electorate have already cast their ballots. According to some reports, Dublin has been slightly busier that it was at this point in the 2020 election. Still very early days mind you.
The Tanaiste and Fianna Fail leader Micheál Martin has said he is “cautiously hopeful” of the outcome of what he called a “close fought” election battle.
He said his Fianna Fail party had a “stronger team” than they had in the 2020 election, when they came back with 38 seats.
Asked will he sleep on Friday night and before count day, he said “oh I will yeah”. Asked if he has any rituals on count day, Mr Martin said “I take it easy”.
“I’ll have a very good breakfast tomorrow morning, and I tell everyone not to come near me until about midday,” he said in Cork. I don’t want to hear a tally from the 44th box, no point. I can go over all that later.
“Actually, I’m very relaxed on count day and the only challenge is to make sure that I can keep the noise out. I will probably go into town and do a few things, go to Douglas market maybe. Then in around midday, 1pm maybe, depending when the tally will be finished, head to the count centre, and it’s very familiar ground for me, Nemo Rangers, and I’ll enjoy that.
“Maybe that’ll be a good omen,” he said, referring to the fact that his son Micheal Aodh plays football for Nemo Rangers GAA club.
An Coimisiún Toghcháin’s head of electoral operations Tim Carey has warned voters not to write anything but numbers on their ballot papers.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland he reminded voters to “start with the number one and then work your way down the ballot with as much or as few candidates as you want. Don’t write up Louth, up the Dubs, up Mayo, don’t comment on one of the politicians or anything like that because if you do your vote may not be counted.”
He also warned people against taking selfies in the booth. “Take a selfie outside the polling station by the sign, but not inside the polling station.”
Care said people should also make sure their ballot is properly stamped at the polling stations.
“If that is not done, and in a very small percentage of cases it is not because they are busy or they just forget, your vote won’t count – it is actually an invalid vote,” he said. “So, make sure it is stamped.”
And in case you miss it, this is how we will be covering the count. It’s an all hands on deck kind of affair.
Simon Harris has aid he was “feeling really good today” as he arrived with his family at Delgany National School in Co Wicklow to vote just before 7.30am.
“I’m feeling really hopeful, hopeful in terms of the election, but hopeful for the future of our country,” he said.
“I wanted to vote early because I now want to head across our country today, continuing to encourage everyone to get out and have their say in this election.”
Asked whether he was glad the campaign was over, the Taoiseach said he had enjoyed the campaign and making a pitch for his vision for the country’s future.
He said he would be working up until polls close at 10pm and is expected to travel to counties Carlow, Laois, Monaghan and Tipperary, as well as Dublin.
Our voting system is many things but uncomplicated is not one of them. How does it work? Sarah Burns has some answers.
Still undecided? That’s okay, we have you covered on that score too. We’re not going to tell you who to vote for, like, but the WhichCandidate voting aid tool might help you to find out who you agree with on a range of policies
“The people of Ireland will vote for freedom.”
That is Elon Musk’s view anyways, for what it’s worth. He took to the platform formerly known as Twitter overnight to share it. He also shared a video of a lot of people walking around flying the tricolour to a soundtrack of stirring music and chants of “Get them out”.
Now you know.
“Identifying target seats in Irish general election is an art more than a science. Unless there is a huge surge for one or two parties – as happened in 1992, 2011 and again in 2020 – gains and losses happen at the margins.” This piece from Harry McGee is well worth a few minutes of your day.
How do you vote? What do you need? Where should you go? We have all – or at least some – of your election questions answered.
Today will be a long enough day with not a huge amount happening – at least in terms of canvassing – but we will be with you to cover it all.
While we might be in the calm before the political storm right now, things will change at 10pm when the first results of an Irish Times/RTÉ/TG4/TCD exit poll conducted by Ipsos B&A will be released. That might give us an early and very tentative sign as to what will happen next and who will form the next government.
It won’t be definitive mind you. As the counts go on – and on and on and on – throughout tomorrow transfers and second, third and fourth preferences will come into play in a big way and until the last seat is filled we probably won’t be sure who are next Taoiseach will be and what party they will be from.
It is a long process for sure but isn’t that what makes it all exciting.
Polling stations have opened across the 43 constituencies in the State and voting will continue until 10pm.
Almost 3.7 million people will be eligible to vote. That is up 423,000 voters since the 2020 election with over 100,000 new registrations in the two weeks before the closing deadline.
If the turnout is decent we could see more people casting their vote than at any point in the history of the State.
Once the clock strikes 10pm, the ballot boxes will be sealed and securely transported to the 32 count centres where they will say until 9am tomorrow when the magic – and the madness – of an Irish election count will get underway in earnest.