Over 65,000 can vote in election today

Just over 65,600 people are registered to cast their vote today in the general election in the new Offaly constituency.

The new three-seat constituency includes the entire county of Offaly as well as some 24 electoral divisions from the north west of Tipperary. Voting got underway at 7am this morning and continues until 10pm on Friday.

Some eleven candidates are contesting the election. The candidates, in alphabetical order, are: Bopp, Kate (Non-Party); Corcoran Kennedy, Marcella (Fine Gael); Cowen, Barry (Fianna Fail); Fettes, Christopher (Green Party/Comhaontas Glas); Fitzpatrick, Eddie (Fianna Fail); Foley, John (Non-Party); Hannigan, Joe (Non-Party); Leahy, John (Renua Ireland); Nolan, Carol (Sinn Fein), Ryan-Feehan, Teresa (Non- Party); Smollen, Ken (Irish Democratic Party).

Two of the candidates Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Fine Gael) and Barry Cowen (Fianna Fail), were sitting TDs who had been representing the Laois/Offaly constituency.

The total electorate is expected to be 65,636. The total Dail electorate in county Offaly, including supplemental register, is 56,352, while there are 9,284 people entitled to vote, including the supplemental register, in the Offaly constituency, who live in Tipperary.

Based on figures from the Department of the Environment, Offaly has the fifth highest electorate of the 13 three-seat constituencies. In fact, it has a higher electorate (excluding the supplemental) than the four-seater Dublin West constituency. the election count takes place in Banagher College on Saturday.