Polling ends in Ireland's early general election

Voting has concluded in Ireland's early general election, marking a pivotal moment for the country.

Polling began at 7 a.m. local time and closed at 10 p.m. with 3.4 million registered voters eligible to cast ballots.

A total of 174 members will be elected to the Dail, the lower house of the Irish Parliament, for a five-year term, shaping the nation's political and legislative future.

Once polling stations closed, ballots were transported to regional counting centers.

The counting process is scheduled to begin Saturday and is expected to take several days to complete due to the scale of the election.

The newly formed government will face pressing challenges, including economic instability, migration issues and a housing crisis, all of which remain top priorities for residents.

The election results are set to provide a crucial indication of the country's political trajectory.

Ireland's previous general election was held Feb. 8, 2020, resulting in a coalition government formed June 27, 2020, between the center-right parties Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, alongside the Green Party.