Sign in Subscribe
Public opinion polls

Irish Voters Head to Polls to Elect Next President

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

In a highly contested election, Irish voters will choose between independent candidate Catherine Connolly and Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys to become the country's next president. With over 3.6 million people eligible to vote, the contest is seen as a head-to-head battle between the two candidates, with the last large dispute of the campaign centering on Ms Connolly's work as a barrister. The office of president is considered a largely ceremonial role, but the post also carries significant responsibilities, including consulting on the constitutionality of proposed legislation before signing it into law.

Key Takeaways:

  • The election is seen as a head-to-head battle between Catherine Connolly and Heather Humphreys, with the last large dispute of the campaign centering on Ms Connolly's work as a barrister.
  • Ms Connolly has been criticized for hiring a woman to work in Leinster House who had previously been convicted of a firearm possession offense.
  • Ms Humphreys has been criticized for not supporting an inquiry into the death of Shane O'Farrell, who died after being hit by a car driven by a man who should have been in jail.
  • Both candidates have been questioned on their roles in various controversies, with Ms Connolly maintaining her 2018 visit to Syria was a "fact-finding mission" and Ms Humphreys saying she "absolutely supported" stricter drink-driving rules.
  • The last large dispute of the campaign also centered on Ms Connolly's work as a barrister, with Ms Humphreys saying she "never tried to capitalise on somebody's misfortune and to make money out of it".
  • The Irish public will also see a third name on the ballot paper with Fianna Fail candidate Jim Gavin still technically eligible to win the election, despite declaring he was withdrawing from the contest weeks ago.
  • The counting of ballots will begin on Saturday morning with the winner expected to be announced at Dublin Castle later in the day.
  • Ireland uses a system of transferable votes in elections, but with only three candidates on the ballot, there can only be a maximum of two counts.
  • The small field of candidates has drawn criticism of the nomination criteria for the post.

Statistics:

  • Over 3.6 million people are eligible to vote in the election.
  • The counting of ballots will begin on Saturday morning.
  • The winner is expected to be announced at Dublin Castle later in the day.
  • Ireland uses a system of transferable votes in elections.
  • There can only be a maximum of two counts in this election.
  • The office of president carries significant responsibilities, including consulting on the constitutionality of proposed legislation before signing it into law.

Sources:

  • PA Wire
  • Niall Carson/PA
  • Mark Marlow/PA
  • Conor O'Mearain/PA
  • The Irish Times
  • The Guardian
  • The Irish Independent

Read more