Counting is taking place in the Presidential Election and boxes from the Wexford constituency have been opened at Colaiste Bride, Enniscorthy.
Early indications are that Wexford will vote in line with the national trend and Michael D. Higgins will be returned to Aras an Uachtarain with a landslide majority.
An Irish Times Exit Poll conducted by Ipsos/MRBI and surveyed 4,500 respondents at 160 polling stations in every constituency shows the following;
Peter Casey – 21%
Gavin Duffy – 2%
Joan Freeman – 6%
Sean Gallagher – 7%
Michael D Higgins – 56%
Liadh Ní Riada – 8%
An RTÉ exit poll also released after the polls closed has predicted very similar results.
Both exit polls also predicted a Yes vote in the referendum to delete blasphemy from the Constitution.
If the exit polls are correct and Higgins has secured over 56% of the vote, it could be the largest ever first preference vote ever in a presidential election, challenging the 56.3% received by Éamon de Valera in 1959.
The full result of the Presidental Election and the Blasphemy Referendum should be known nationally around teatime.