Vote counting continues in Ireland as exit polls show a three-way race | Election News

Exit polls put far-left Sinn Fein on 21.1 percent of the vote, slightly ahead of the two centre-right parties.

Ireland is counting votes in the general election as exit polls have suggested a dead heat between the three main parties, with left-wing opposition Sinn Fein holding a narrow lead.

Counting began at 09:00 GMT on Saturday with half of the results expected throughout the day.

However, the final result may not be clear for several days as the European Union member Ireland’s proportional representation system sees the votes of expelled people redistributed during several rounds of counting.

According to an exit poll on Friday by Ipsos B&A, Sinn Fein, which supports Irish unity, led with 21.1% of the vote.

Close behind were two Irish centre-right parties, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, who are partners in the outgoing government. They had 21 percent and 19.5 percent of the vote respectively, according to Ipsos B&A.

If the poll proves accurate, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, the long-standing forces in Irish politics, are likely to take control, said Eoin O’Malley, a political scientist at Dublin City University.

They will still have to meet with smaller parties to get 88 seats, he said.

Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald has expressed her hope that her party will be able to overthrow the institution, calling Friday’s election “a historic day where we can elect a new government that will bring change”.

During the last parliamentary term, the prime minister alternated between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael leaders, with the latter taking over from Simon Harris.

Harris, the 38-year-old Ireland’s youngest ever taoiseach, stood firm when he called for a snap election three weeks ago.

But his party lost steam, especially after he was seen in a video clip disrespecting and dismissing a care worker from the campaign.

The three-week election campaign was marked by a row over housing and issues of the cost of living, public spending and immigration.

Both centre-right parties have stressed their pro-business and pro-EU credentials and say returning them to power will ensure stability, especially in the face of international turmoil and the risk of external shocks.

Ireland’s economy depends on foreign direct investment and corporate tax returns from mostly United States tech and pharma giants.

But US President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on goods and to reintroduce US corporate taxes to countries such as Ireland has raised concerns about the country’s economic model.

In the last general election of 2020, Sinn Fein – the former political wing of the Irish Republican Army – won the popular vote but found no willing allies.

That led to weeks of horse-trading, with Fine Gael, in power since 2011, agreeing to a deal with Fianna Fail.

McDonald’s Sinn Fein party, the main opposition party, saw its support last year thanks to its progress on social issues and immigration policy, as immigration became a key election issue.

But it took part after a campaign that focused heavily on housing policy and said it was the only alternative to Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, who have shifted power since Ireland gained independence from Britain in 1921.