Polling stations have opened this morning in both Dublin Central and Galway West as voters head to the polls in two Dáil bye-elections.
Voting began at 7am and polling stations will remain open until 10pm tonight.
By-elections are held when Dáil seats become vacant between general elections, allowing voters to elect a new TD.
The seat in Dublin Central became vacant after former Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe resigned in November to take up a new role with the World Bank in Washington.
Meanwhile, the vacancy in Galway West arose following the election of Catherine Connolly as President last October.
A total of 57,619 people are registered to vote in Dublin Central — down almost 6,000 voters since the 2024 general election following a review of the electoral register by An Coimisiún Toghcháin.
The electorate in Galway West has also fallen slightly and now stands at 103,479 voters.
The electoral commission said duplicate entries, as well as people who had emigrated or died, were removed from the register during the update process.
People can vote in the bye-elections if they are registered to vote, are either an Irish or British citizen, are aged over 18 and ordinarily resident in one of the constituencies.
Voters are being advised to check their polling card before travelling to confirm the location of their polling station. While polling cards are useful, they are not essential to vote.
People may also be asked to provide identification before receiving their ballot paper. Accepted forms of ID include a passport, driving licence, Public Services Card, student card with a photograph or an employee identity card.
There are 14 candidates on the ballot paper in Dublin Central:
There are 17 candidates on the ballot paper in Galway West:
Ireland uses the proportional representation single transferable vote system, commonly known as PR-STV. Voters rank candidates in order of preference by placing “1” beside their first choice, “2” beside their second choice and so on.
If no candidate reaches the quota during the first count, the lowest-performing candidate is eliminated and their votes are redistributed according to voters’ next preferences. The process continues until one candidate is elected.
Ballot boxes from 21 polling stations in Dublin Central will be brought to the RDS on Dublin’s southside for counting.
In Galway West, ballot boxes from island communities including Inishbofin, Inis Mór, Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr will be ferried for counting in Salthill, where a total of 196 boxes will be opened.
Counting is expected to begin at around 9am on Saturday, with early tallies likely later that morning.
Because both contests are single-seat bye-elections, results could emerge by Saturday afternoon, although multiple rounds of transfers may be needed before candidates reach the quota. A longer count is expected in Galway West and contingencies are in place should counting continue beyond Sunday.
Turnout in Dublin Central at the last general election stood at 52.3%, though bye-election turnout is traditionally lower.
An Coimisiún Toghcháin is also trialling a new initiative during today’s vote, with “I’m a Voter” and “Is Votálaí mé” stickers available at selected polling stations in both constituencies for people casting their ballots.
