Turnout in the Republic of Ireland's referendum on abortion laws is higher, so far, than in recent votes.
Voters arrive and leave St. Patrick's Boys National School polling station in Drumcondra, Dublin, to vote in the Irish referendum on liberalising abortion law on 25 May. Photo: AFP
Voting will continue until 22:00 local time on Friday (9am this morning NZT).
The turnout at mid afternoon on Friday was higher than at the same stage of the country's referendum on same-sex marriage and its most recent general election.
Polls opened at 07:00 local time.
The vote will decide whether to repeal a part of the constitution, known as the Eighth Amendment, which effectively bans terminations in the country.
Currently, abortion is only allowed when a woman's life is at risk, but not in cases of rape, incest or fatal foetal abnormality.
Broadcasters are not allowed to report details of campaigning while the polls are open.
Residents of Irish islands cast their votes on Thursday local time, to ensure their votes reached count centres on time.
One ballot box, on Inis Fraoich island, received just one vote. Four people on the island were on the voter register.
More than 3.2 million people are registered to vote in the referendum, with more than 100,000 new voters registering ahead of the poll.
The referendum is the result of a decades-long debate about abortion in the Republic of Ireland and will be the country's sixth vote on the issue.
The now-controversial Eighth Amendment was introduced after a referendum in 1983.
It "acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right" - meaning the life of the woman and the unborn are seen as equal.
After eight weeks of hard campaigning on both sides, it is now decision time for voters.
Ballots will be cast at more than 6,500 stations across 40 constituencies in the Republic of Ireland.
The ballot paper does not mention the Eighth Amendment or abortion, instead asking: "Do you approve of the proposal to amend the Constitution contained in the undermentioned Bill?"
Those who want to retain the Eighth Amendment will vote no, while those who want to replace it will vote yes.
The counting of votes will begin on Saturday morning local time (Saturday night NZT), with a result expected early on Saturday evening (Sunday morning NZT).
- BBC
