The Republic of Ireland elects its government using a system of proportional representation known as the single transferable vote. Voters will have the opportunity to rank candidates in their constituency in order of preference, marking their favourite with a number one, a number two beside their next choice and so on.

Ireland holds a general election on Friday, with Prime Minister Simon Harris hoping to capitalize on a strong economy to secure another five years in power. Harris brought the vote forward from a March deadline after opinion polls showed a bump in support for the main parties in his centrist coalition.

Who are the parties and leaders standing at the Irish general election? - Ireland is set to hold its first general election since before the Covid-19 pandemic