Polling stations ready for 9am opening

Polling stations are due to open at 9am today for voting in the second Nice Treaty referendum.

Polls close at 9pm. More than 2.8m people are entitled to vote in the referendum.

Of those, some 13,687 are registered as postal voters, with the bulk of those - about 10,000 - made up of overseas members of the Defence Forces.

A final result is expected by tea-time tomorrow.

The Government is hoping for a high turnout in today's Nice Treaty referendum, believing the more people who vote, the higher the chance of a 'Yes' majority.

Senior government sources believe a turnout greater than 45% is needed to swing a 'Yes' vote.

That compares with a 34.7% turnout in last year's Nice referendum

"The turnout is the key issue now," said a government source.