European elections: French citizens living in Ireland vote in Cork and Dublin
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Some 9,000 French citizens living in Ireland have begun voting on Sunday in the European elections at two polling stations — one in Cork and the other in Dublin.
Officials overseeing the Cork polling booth in City Hall have reported a steady turnout since voting began at 8am, with almost 100 votes cast already.
An estimated 2,190 people from across Munster are entitled to vote at this centre for the 81 candidates who are running on 31 lists across France.
Among the early voters in Cork was Chloé, from the south of France, who has been living and working in the city for four years.
She had to present identification and be checked on the voter register before being allowed to post her ballot, contained in a small brown envelope marked ‘Republique Francaise’ into the glass ballot box.
She said: “For me it’s very important to vote. And I have also been trying to push people to vote — some people think it’s useless but if it was useless, why the far right?
“The EU is so important; it just makes everything easy.
“If it wasn’t for the European Union, I wouldn’t be here working.”
The polling station in City Hall remains open until 6pm.
Josselin Le Gall, president of the polling station, who is being assisted by Valerie David-McGonnell, President of Alliance Française de Cork President, said the votes will be counted in Ireland this evening and the results relayed by embassy officials to France.
Follow all the results across the weekend at the Irish Examiner election hub.