Strong voting turnout in Cavan
Clear weather, the longer brighter evening, and area specific candidates are all expected to be contributing factors is what is expected to be a higher turnout than usual in some towns and villages across Co Cavan.
Counting has started at the Cavan Leisure Complex, where the first job of the day for the scores of counting staff is to sort through the three ballots across the Local and European elections, and Divorce Referendum.
There are a total 136 boxes to open.
In 2014, the turnout in Bailieborough-Cootehill was just over 60.39%, 56.16% in Ballyjamesduff, and 52.71% in Cavan-Belturbet.
The quotas were 1,678, 1,532, and 1,296 respectively.
The Anglo-Celt will be providing rolling coverage throughout the day as results come in.
As polls closed last night in Balieborough, in the Bailieborough Cootehill District, across three booths, the average turnout was above 50 per cent, with booth 3 alone at above 60 per cent.
Voting turnout in the west of the county was high early on, above 40 per cent in some rural areas heading towards the close of voting 10pm, and “steady” streams of people filing up to cast their vote elsewhere.
In Cavan Town proper, voting was consistent throughout the day, and early tallies indicate voting figures will exceed those in 2014 in many areas.
The local election is seen by many as having contributed to a higher turnout, compared to if the European election or Divorce Referendum were being held isolation.
The European tally will be presented to the central count centre in Castlebar, Co Mayo; while the Referendum decision for the constituency will be brought to Dublin.
The European votes will be sorted into bundles of fifties, and then into boxes of 4000.
Once that is done, the Referendum votes will be counted.
It's expected that the local election could could run into Sunday, and even maybe Monday, May 26.
Keep up to date with our election blog throughout the weekend:
https://www.anglocelt.ie/elections/roundup/articles/2019/05/24/4174595-live-election-blog-2019/