ISTANBUL

Voting has ended in Ireland’s presidential election, where citizens cast their ballots at 5,500 polling stations across the country to elect the nation’s 10th president.

Polling stations opened at 7 am local time (0600GMT) and closed at 10 pm (2100GMT), in the culmination of a campaign that saw three candidates nominated for the post.

Preliminary reports suggested a slow start to voter turnout in the morning, which gained momentum later in the day, with official figures expected to be confirmed Saturday at 9 am (0800GMT) when the counting of votes begins.

The winner will be inaugurated Nov. 11 as Ireland’s 10th president.

Fianna Fail’s Jim Gavin, Fine Gael's Heather Humphreys and independent candidate Catherine Connolly are on the ballot. But Gavin withdrew from the race after the close of nominations, meaning his name remains on the ballot and votes cast for him will be counted and redistributed according to Ireland's voting system.

Voters are asked to rank candidates in order of preference, one, two or three, under the proportional representation system known as the single transferable vote.

If no candidate reaches the required quota, the lowest-placed contender is eliminated and their votes are transferred based on voters’ next preferences.

For tens of thousands of citizens, the election marks their first time casting a ballot.