Polling stations across Limerick close, with steady voter turnout reported

POLLING stations have now closed across Limerick City and County, with voter turnout for Ireland’s abortion referendum reported to have been steady throughout the day. 

Around 66,000 people were eligible to vote in rural Limerick, with a further 73,000 entitled to have their say in Limerick city. 

Counting will begin at 9am on Saturday, May 26, with a final result expected by afternoon. 

Voters have been asked whether to remove or retain the eighth amendment of the constitution.

This Friday’s abortion referendum saw Limerick voters who are visually impaired casting their vote in secret for the first time by using a new tactile ballot template.

Previously, people with sight loss had to vote with the assistance of a ‘trusted friend’ or from a presiding officer, meaning that they were denied a secret ballot. 

This meant that they had no way to verify that the person who had assisted them had marked their ballot paper in the way they requested. 

The tactile ballot template is placed over the ballot paper and includes Braille and embossed numbers with a cut-out square over where the ballot box is marked. 

The Limerick Leader will have updates to follow here on LimerickLeader.ie and in the print editions next week on the results.

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