NI Polls Open For Three-Way Vote

After weeks of political debate, the polls have now opened across NI to elect 108 new members of the Stormont Assembly.

The electorate is also being asked to vote for 582 new councillors in wards around the Province.

In addition, they are also being asked to mark an X for their preference on whether there should be a change in the way Westminster MPs are elected - with an Alternative Vote (AV) as a proposal rather than 'first-past-the-post'.

Confusingly, while the two main polls are being conducted with a hybrid AV, using 1,2,3,4 in order of preference, the electorate are expected to use the traditional X for their choice on the AV issue.

Polling stations open at 7am this morning and will close at 10pm.

One politician hoping for a boost is the SDLP Leader Margaret Ritchie.

She has said an increased SDLP presence in the Stormont Executive could make a big difference in improving the quality of government in Northern Ireland.

Asking people to come out and vote SDLP, the South Down MP said people recognise the value of the SDLP in government.

She said: "The SDLP wants to see a Northern Ireland which is attractive to business; which looks after its sick and respects its older citizens.

"We can only get there, by uniting people and building prosperity. "We have shown how to reach out and embrace other traditions by bringing people together in a shared future. We have produced better ideas on how to create jobs and build the economy - more than any party," she claimed.

"SDLP Ministers have done well in Government too. Housing has been a major success because SDLP Ministers put their heart and soul into the job.

"I think people recognise that an Executive with more SDLP ministers would be a better Executive."

The SDLP boos was earlier this week one of the leaders to have made their last call for votes in a TV special.

Appearing in a BBC Northern Ireland TV election special there were heated exchanges over the conduct of the Stormont Executive.

The Sinn Fein and DUP leaders accused the SDLP and Ulster Unionist Party of not being team players.

But, SDLP boss Margaret Ritchie and the Leader of the UUP Tom Elliott responded by criticising a "cosy consensus" between the DUP and Sinn Fein.

(BMcC/GK)