After Friday’s vote, counting begins at 9am Saturday with Ireland potentially becoming the first country to allow gay marriage through a plebiscite

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Counting of votes in Ireland’s landmark referendum on gay marriage begins at 9am Saturday as the government and rights campaigners bid to make history.

With more than 3.2 million people eligible to vote, including tens of thousands who registered at the last minute and returned home from overseas, the turnout was reported to be higher than average.

Twenty-one countries have already extended marriage rights to same-sex couples, but if the reform is passed Ireland will be the first in the world to bring it in by popular vote.

Early indications of how the vote is going are expected to start feeding into the count headquarters in Dublin Castle around mid-morning, with the result known by the afternoon.

Around 66,000 mostly young people and students added their names to the electoral register in recent weeks, bringing the number of 18 to 25-year-olds to about 400,000, a group Yes campaigners believe will be key to a successful passing of the proposal.

In the 24 hours before polling, social media documented many emigrants, mostly from the UK and Europe, returning home to cast their ballots with their influence and trips back flagged on Twitter with #hometovote.

It is only 22 years since Ireland decriminalised homosexuality.

Voters are now being asked one simple, specific question on whether to amend Article 41 of the 1937 Constitution by adding a new clause to a section titled The Family.

It asks voters to support or reject a change to the 78-year-old document which reads: “Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex.”

It does not suggest any change to the definition of the family or remove any outdated references in the section, including those that state a woman’s place is at home.

Opinion polls put the Yes side well in front until a week ago but concerns have been growing about undecided voters. About a quarter of those polled declined to declare their intentions.

The Yes campaign has been backed by all the main political parties but a small number of backbenchers are to vote No.

Concerns have grown the more conservative politicians from the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael parties did not sufficiently canvass support, particularly in rural areas, amid fears of a backlash at next year’s general election and a sense of complacency the proposal would be accepted.

In a separate referendum also held Friday, voters were asked their views on proposals to reduce the age limit on who can stand for the presidency from 35 to 21. That result will be known on Friday evening.