On islands off the coasts of Galway, Mayo and Donegal, people are casting their votes in the General Election today.

It had been expected that the European and local elections held in May of last year would be the final time that islanders would vote ahead of the rest of the country.

However, legislation to allow islanders vote on the same day as other voters, despite having gone through second stage in the Dáil, had not been passed by the time the General Election was called.

Traditionally islanders voted ahead of the rest of the country to ensure that bad weather did not hamper the return of ballot boxes to the mainland in time for the count.

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