North expects record electoral turnout

Polling has continued heavy across the North this afternoon with people turning out early to ensure they can cast their vote.

It has been reported particularly high in the North Down area and in West Belfast, giving hopes of a possible higher than ever turnout across the North.

If voting continues as heavy as it has been so far, we could be heading for a record turn out even in the North where people do normally exercise their franchise.

In North Down, where voters have in the past been more reluctant than elsewhere to go to the polling station, there were even queues as people went to vote before they left for work.

The weather has held up fairly well, despite some heavy showers of rain and hail.

Strangford is another area with traditionally low turnout but it is also reporting a brisk flow of people voting well in advance of peak rush hours.

The thinking is that this is good news for the pro-Agreement side.

There are also reports of some tactical voting.

In Strangford, for example, this would mean some traditional SDLP supporters voting for an Ulster Unionist and Orangeman, David McNarry to keep Iris Robinson of the DUP out.