Irish abortion referendum: Exit polls suggest landslide for repeal
Irish abortion referendum: Exit polls suggest landslide for repeal
Exit polls published after Ireland's referendum on abortion suggest a large vote in the law of liberalising.
Polls by The Irish Times and RT suggest that 69% voted to repeat a part of the constitution that effectively prohibits the termination.
Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar, who supported the reforms, said it was as if the country was about to "make history".
Official counting of votes will start at 09:00 local time.
Those taking part in Friday's referendum were asked whether they want the constitution of a part of the republic or the eightth Amendment, which says that an unborn child is equal to life as a pregnant woman.
Ireland's time of reckoning
#HomeToVote people travelling
Broadcaster RTÉ's exit poll suggested that in the last 69.4% of the Yes Yes and 30.6% for No. In Dublin, 79% of people voted for repeal, according to the RTÉ poll.
An exit poll released by the Irish Times points to 68% Yes to 32% for No.
Ireland's abortion referendum explained
Timeline: Ireland and abortion
Tweeting on Friday night, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: "Thank you to everyone who voted today. Democracy in action. It looks like we will make history tomorrow tomorrow ..."
In other reaction:
Irish Health Minister Simon Harris tweeted: "Will sleep tonight in the hope of a country that is more compassionate, more careful and more respectful"
Prominent No campaigner Cora Sherlock expressed disappointment at the exit polls but said that the pro-life movement would "make it face any challenge". She added: "Let's go in tomorrow with this in mind"
Penny Mordaunt, the UK's minister for women and equalities, called it a "historic and great day for Ireland and a hopeful one for Northern Ireland". The Northern Ireland's abortion laws are much stricter than the rest of the UK
The leader of the Northern Ireland's centrist Alliance Party, Naomi Long, said it appeared to be an "incredible result" for the yes campaign.
Currently, abortion is only allowed when a woman's life is risky, but not in cases of rape, incest or fatal foetal abnormality.
The turnout looks to be higher than that of the country's referendum on the same sex marriage and its most recent general elections.
More than 3.2 million people were registered for the vote in the referendum, with more than 100,000 new voters registered before the poll.
The referendum was the result of a decade-long discussion about abortion in the Republic of Ireland and was the country's sixth vote on the issue.
Where does the law stand?
The now-controversial Eighth Amendment was introduced after a referendum in 1983.
It "acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with regard to the equivalent to the mother of equal right, respect to its laws, and, as far as practicable, its laws by the right to protect and vindicate" meaning the life of the woman and the unborn are seen as equal.
Since 2013, terminations only allowed in Ireland when the life of the mother is at risk, including suicide.
The maximum penalty for an illegal abortion is 14 years in prison.
In 2017, the Citizens' Assembly, a body set up to advise the Irish government on constitutional change, voted to replace or amend the part of Ireland's Constitution which strictly available the abortion of limitations.
So the Irish people were asked if they wanted the eightth amendment to remove and the politicians allowed the future in the country's abortion laws.
The wording on the ballot paper was: "Provision may be made by law for the regulation of termination of pregnancy."
Exit polls published after Ireland's referendum on abortion suggest a large vote in the law of liberalising.
Polls by The Irish Times and RT suggest that 69% voted to repeat a part of the constitution that effectively prohibits the termination.
Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar, who supported the reforms, said it was as if the country was about to "make history".
Official counting of votes will start at 09:00 local time.
Those taking part in Friday's referendum were asked whether they want the constitution of a part of the republic or the eightth Amendment, which says that an unborn child is equal to life as a pregnant woman.
Ireland's time of reckoning
#HomeToVote people travelling
Broadcaster RTÉ's exit poll suggested that in the last 69.4% of the Yes Yes and 30.6% for No. In Dublin, 79% of people voted for repeal, according to the RTÉ poll.
An exit poll released by the Irish Times points to 68% Yes to 32% for No.
Ireland's abortion referendum explained
Timeline: Ireland and abortion
Tweeting on Friday night, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: "Thank you to everyone who voted today. Democracy in action. It looks like we will make history tomorrow tomorrow ..."
In other reaction:
Irish Health Minister Simon Harris tweeted: "Will sleep tonight in the hope of a country that is more compassionate, more careful and more respectful"
Prominent No campaigner Cora Sherlock expressed disappointment at the exit polls but said that the pro-life movement would "make it face any challenge". She added: "Let's go in tomorrow with this in mind"
Penny Mordaunt, the UK's minister for women and equalities, called it a "historic and great day for Ireland and a hopeful one for Northern Ireland". The Northern Ireland's abortion laws are much stricter than the rest of the UK
The leader of the Northern Ireland's centrist Alliance Party, Naomi Long, said it appeared to be an "incredible result" for the yes campaign.
Currently, abortion is only allowed when a woman's life is risky, but not in cases of rape, incest or fatal foetal abnormality.
The turnout looks to be higher than that of the country's referendum on the same sex marriage and its most recent general elections.
More than 3.2 million people were registered for the vote in the referendum, with more than 100,000 new voters registered before the poll.
The referendum was the result of a decade-long discussion about abortion in the Republic of Ireland and was the country's sixth vote on the issue.
Where does the law stand?
The now-controversial Eighth Amendment was introduced after a referendum in 1983.
It "acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with regard to the equivalent to the mother of equal right, respect to its laws, and, as far as practicable, its laws by the right to protect and vindicate" meaning the life of the woman and the unborn are seen as equal.
Since 2013, terminations only allowed in Ireland when the life of the mother is at risk, including suicide.
The maximum penalty for an illegal abortion is 14 years in prison.
In 2017, the Citizens' Assembly, a body set up to advise the Irish government on constitutional change, voted to replace or amend the part of Ireland's Constitution which strictly available the abortion of limitations.
So the Irish people were asked if they wanted the eightth amendment to remove and the politicians allowed the future in the country's abortion laws.
The wording on the ballot paper was: "Provision may be made by law for the regulation of termination of pregnancy."
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