Last time around: In 2011, Labour won 37 Dáil seats with a 19.4% share of the vote.
Last local elections: The party won 51 council seats with a 7.2% share of the vote in the 2014 local elections.
Best case scenario: A series of election pledges such as abolishing the Universal Social Charge for everyone on a salary up to €70,000 are welcomed by the electorate. Tánaiste Joan Burton has a good campaign. The lack of coherent alternative government helps swell Labour support.
Messages that Labour were key in guiding the country towards economic recovery and forcing Fine Gael's hand on issues such as securing the marriage equality referendum resonate well. Seats that may have looked precarious in constituencies such as Dublin Mid-West, Dublin Bay North, Dublin Bay South, Tipperary, Limerick City, Dublin Fingal and Cork East all come good. The party secures in the region of 20 seats.
Worst case scenario: The party has hovered between 6% and 10% in opinion polls over the past few years. The general election result is at the lower end of that scale. Transfers do not come Labour's way in enough bulk over count weekend and big names lose their seats. The party is left with a rump of nine seats or lower.
Expected outcome: Labour's historical average in general elections is 10%. Detractors claim disaster for the party as it has fallen from the dizzy heights of almost 20% and 37 Dáil seats in 2011 to below 10% in opinion polls. But if the party can edge over 10% on polling day, it could win in the region of 15 seats. A little lower than that and Labour will have closer to ten seats.
Leader profile: Assuming leadership of Labour two years ago was a high point for Joan Burton. After more than 30 years in the party, it was her time. But with the junior Coalition partner struggling in the polls, General Election 2016 could be make or break for Joan Burton's leadership. Read the full profile here.
By Conor McMorrow, RTÉ's Political Staff
