Parties hoping for evening voting rush

Political parties were today expecting the traditional evening voting rush as they hoped for a buoyant general election turnout.

Only 62.7% of the electorate bothered to cast their ballots in 2002, which TDs blamed on a day-long downpour.

Queues formed outside some polling stations in commuter towns from 7.30am as workers tried to vote before travelling to their offices.

Elsewhere, thousands of college students sitting exams may have difficulties travelling to vote if they are not registered where they live.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern voted in bright weather at around 11am at a local school in Drumcondra followed by dozens of photographers and TV camera crews.

He chatted to the polling station staff for a few minutes afterwards before delivering his usual message to people to vote.

He could not give himself a first preference as he is not registered in the constituency in which he is standing.

"If people don't have their voting card, they are probably still on the Register, so they should bring another form of ID," he said.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny had cast his vote with his wife Fionnuala at his local parish centre in his native Castlebar.

"This is judgement day for people. The more people that cast their votes, the stronger our democracy is," he said.

Church bells were tolling as he entered the polling station and he quipped: "I wonder for whom the bells are tolling today."

Mr Kenny later posed for photographs with a local bride as she voted on her way to her wedding ceremony.

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte voted around 10am at Scoil Aine Girls' National School in Clondalkin.

He said: "It does make a difference. Casting your vote can make a difference."

Progressive Democrats leader Michael McDowell was the first of the leaders to exercise his franchise at 8.15am in Ranelagh in Dublin.

Speculating on the weather's effect on turnout, Mr McDowell quipped: "I'm not in charge of the weather and I will blame that on the Opposition if it goes wrong."

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams accompanied party candidate for Dublin North East, Larry O'Toole, to vote at Darndale National School.

President Mary McAleese will vote after 3pm in the Phoenix Park after she returns from her state visit to Latvia and Lithuania.

Voting in north Co Dublin, Greens leader Trevor Sargent said: "I think it is vital that people vote because the people that do vote will be deciding everybody's future."

Will he be back as Taoiseach? "We'll see," was Bertie Ahern's reply as he cast his vote.

Tánaiste and PD leader Michael McDowell said: "Now is the time for people to exercise the rights that people gave their lives to give us."

We caught up with Labour leader Pat Rabbitte as he cast his vote. "The people are sovereign and they will make the decision," he said.