Polls have opened today in Ireland’s historic referendum on the country’s abortion laws.
The result of the vote will decide whether or not to repeal a constitutional clause protecting the rights of the unborn, known as the Eighth Amendment.
Leo Varadkar, Ireland’s Taoiseach, warned that the referendum is a “once in a generation decision”.
In the run-up to the vote, over 100,000 new voters have registered. Over 3.2 million people in total are registered to vote.
The ballot paper in today’s vote asks: “Do you approve of the proposal to amend the Constitution contained in the undermentioned Bill?”
Due to the strict abortion controls, an estimated 3,500 women travel abroad every year to terminate their pregnancies whilst around 2,000 women illegally purchase abortion pills online.
The latest opinion polls have indicated a majority for repeal.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said last week: “We are now in the final week of campaigning in the referendum to remove the eighth amendment. The eighth has caused and continues to cause untold suffering to women. Next Friday is an opportunity to right this wrong.”
“At all times in this campaign we must ground ourselves in respect and fact and recognise that every day women in this country are suffering under the eighth amendment.”
“The fact is that the eighth amendment causes further trauma to victims of rape.”
Catholic primate Archbishop Eamon Martin made a counter message to the people of Ireland.
“The innate dignity of every human life is a value for the whole of society – for people of all faiths and none. It is rooted in reason as well as in faith. To take away an innocent human life can never be simply a matter of personal choice,” he said.
Polling stations opened at 7 am and close tonight at 10 pm. Counting will begin on Saturday with the final result expected to be formally announced later in the afternoon.