Voting is continuing in the European Parliament elections.
Voters in seven countries can go to the polls today.
For more visit RTÉ.ie/Elections
Italy begins the first of two days of voting, while parts of France's overseas territories are also voting.
The Czech republic is finishing its poll today, having opened polling stations yesterday.
Cyprus, Latvia, Malta and Slovakia also vote today.
Latvia's government is facing its first ballot-box test since the beginning of the recession, as voters go to the polls in local elections as well.
The centre-right coalition of Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis, which took office in March after the previous government collapsed, could face a backlash from voters over a belt-tightening drive that has seen deep cuts in public spending.
Opinion polls suggested that parties from the five-party government coalition could be punished in the capital Riga, with the left-wing opposition Harmony Centre likely to top the vote.
Harmony Centre is also likely to top the race for the European parliament, where Latvia has eight seats, opinion polls showed.
Only two governing parties, New Era and the Civic Union, seem likely to clear the five-percent hurdle required to win seats.
In Malta, local council elections are also taking place.
The two major parties, the governing Nationalists (PPE) and the Labour Party (PES), have been urging their supporters to get out to the polls, which opened at 6am Irish time.
Some 306,549 eligible voters are being asked to choose among 33 candidates for Malta's five seats in the European Parliament.
Turnout is expected to top 80% (82% turnout in 2004), by far more than the highest average poll in the European Union, which was 62% in 1979.
A survey last week gave Labour a 10% lead over the Nationalists, which was roughly the spread in elections five years ago.
Labour won three seats in the EP then which it is expected to hold in today's vote, and the Nationalists two.
