Exit poll: Ireland’s top 3 parties in dead heat in election

The top three political parties in Ireland have finished in a virtual three-way tie in Friday’s election, with Sinn Féin slightly ahead with 21.1% of first-preference votes, followed by Fine Gael at 21% and Fianna Fáil at 19.5%. The complex proportional representation system used means that determining the winners of all 174 seats in the Dáil Éireann parliament will likely not be complete until Sunday night, leading to weeks of negotiations to form a multi-party government with a stable majority. With no clear victor, potential coalition partners need to reach a compromise, as the two main parties, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, would require additional support to govern effectively without working with Sinn Féin.

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