Polls show centre-right rulers Fine Gael and Fianna Fail running neck and neck with left-wing nationalist Sinn Féin.
Ireland goes to the polls in a tight electoral race in which two center-right coalition parties compete neck and neck with the old political wing of a republican parliamentary force.
Irish voters began casting their ballots on Friday, when polls showed outgoing coalition partners Fine Gael and Fianna Fail and left-wing nationalist opposition Sinn Fein hovering around 20 percent support.
The poll results, if repeated on election day, would likely return Fine Gael and Fianna Fail to power after the historic rivals formed a coalition for the first time following an inconclusive 2020 election.
The centre-right parties, which share very similar policies on economic and social matters, signed the historic pact after refusing to form a government with Sinn Féin, the winner of the popular vote, due to their past links with the Irish Republican Army.
Fine Gael leader and prime minister Simon Harris – known as the Taoiseach in the Irish language – called elections on November 8 after announcing €10.5 billion ($11.1 billion) in tax cuts and spending increases thanks to a large surplus budgetary.
While Fine Gael led the polls throughout the campaign, the party's standing fell after a testy encounter between Harris, 38, and an angry care worker went viral on social media.
Sinn Fein had topped opinion polls throughout 2022 and 2023 with approval ratings above 30 per cent before support began to weaken amid a growing disconnect with the party's liberal stance on immigration.
Cost of living issues dominated the campaign amid a severe housing shortage that has driven rents and property prices to record levels.
While Ireland has some of the healthiest public finances in Europe thanks to a record corporate tax on American multinationals, there is widespread public frustration over the government's management of public services, including the failure to build enough new homes during the “Celtic Tiger” of the country. boom years.
Vote counting will begin in Ireland's 43 multi-seat constituencies on Saturday morning.
The final result may not be known for a few days as Ireland's proportional representation system includes numerous rounds of recounts.
