Elections for a new president are being held in Ireland, where independent left-wing candidate Catherine Connolly is expected to win, with an emphasis on low voter turnout.
Irish voters will decide on a new president in the elections on Friday. According to the AFP agency, on the basis of pre-election polls, the victory of independent left-wing candidate Catherine Connolly is expected, writes TASR.
The polling stations are scheduled to close at 11:00 p.m. CET and the result of the vote is expected on Saturday evening. More than 3.6 million people can vote, the voter turnout in the 2018 presidential election was 44 percent. The winner of Friday’s election will replace 84-year-old Michael Higgins, who has held the largely representative position since 2011.
Low voter turnout and frustration
Independent candidate Catherine Connolly is the main favorite ahead of Heather Humphreys of centrist Fine Gael. Experts predict a low turnout due to voter frustration and the choice of only two main candidates. According to a recent poll, 49 percent of voters do not feel represented by either of them.
Conservatives have called on voters to deface ballots to protest the lack of right-wing candidates.
Candidate controversies
Fianna Fáil candidate Jim Gavin withdrew at the last minute in early October, but his name remained on the ballot. The former military pilot and sports manager withdrew his candidacy following revelations about an unpaid overpayment to a former tenant of his property dating back to 2009, which he only paid back during the campaign.
Election favorite Connolly, 68, cycled to Claddagh Primary School in the west coast city of Galway to vote, where she was greeted by supporters. The lawyer and, since 2016, an independent member of parliament, is supported by left-wing parties, including Sinn Féin. In the last weeks of the campaign, her support in opinion polls has risen sharply.
The influence of young voters
She considers herself a critic of the United States and the European Union. During the campaign, she strengthened her popularity with younger voters by participating in popular podcasts and a viral video in which she showed off her soccer skills.
