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Residents of the Aran Islands and Inishboffin are going to the polls today to cast their votes in the presidential election and blasphemy referendum.
The islands vote a day ahead of the rest of Ireland to give time for all the votes to be brought back to the mainland to be counted.
Eight other offshore islands in Donegal and Mayo are also voting today.
Of the 2,100 island residents voting today, the bulk of them are from the Galway islands which have 1,200 registered voters between them.
Inis Mór has the largest share of voters at 666, with the rest spread between Inis Oírr, Inis Meain, and Inishboffin.
Another seven islands off the coast of Cork will vote tomorrow at the same time as the rest of Ireland.
In the presidential election voters will choose from six candidates.
Incumbent President Michael D. Higgins; Businessmen and former Dragon’s Den panelists Gavin Duffy, Seán Gallagher, and Peter Casey; Founder of Pieta House and former Senator Joan Freeman; and Sinn Féin candidate Liadh Ní Riadh.
Sinn Féin was the only party to put forward a candidate, with the leadership of other parties backing President Higgins.
The four other independent candidates were forced to secure the backing of local authorities instead of Oireachtas members.
Campaigning has officially ended for the presidential election, with a moratorium on broadcast coverage in effect as of 2pm today.
Also to be decided is a referendum on removing article 40.6.1.i prohibiting blasphemy from the Irish constitution.
Galway West TD Eamon Ó Cuív is advancing legislation to ensure that from now on the islands vote on the same day as the mainland.
Deputy Ó Cúiv has said that the historical reason for early voting in the islands, transport difficulties, is no longer applicable.
He has also said that it’s unfair to students and working people that they have to cast their ballot during the week if they’re registered in the islands.
