Voting takes place in the Nice Referendum and for the first time, the vote takes place on a Saturday.
President Mary McAleese and her husband Martin were among the first people to vote in the referendum arriving at the polling station at the Phoenix Park national school at 9.00 am this morning. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern voted at midday in Drumcondra. Meanwhile, Green Party MEP and leading no campaigner Patricia McKenna cast her vote with a little help from her son Oisín.
For the first time, a referendum takes place on a Saturday in an effort to provide more of the electorate with an opportunity to vote. By lunchtime, turnout was reported to be about ten per cent with Dublin reported to be busier than elsewhere. Turnout in the capital improved further in the afternoon ranging from 20 per cent in Finglas to 36 per cent in Donnybrook.
In Cork, President of the European Parliament Pat Cox accompanied his wife to the polling station. Mr Cox had already voted by postal vote last week. Overall, Cork showed a slow start to voting with one Presiding Officer noting that many people lie in on a Saturday morning. Voting picked up later in the day in cities like Cork and Waterford.
In the midlands, it was a quiet start for voters but the numbers picked up slightly by teatime.
Saturday evening mass goers are expected to boost the turnout in many areas over the next hour or so.
Electronic voting was used across seven constituencies and results in these areas are expected to be in by midnight.
The final result of the referendum will be declared at Dublin Castle tomorrow evening where it is expected that there will be a considerable foreign media presence.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 19 October 2002. The reporter is Teresa Mannion.
