Irish voters appear to embrace repeal of abortion ban

RTE predicted the result would be 69 percent to 30 percent in favor of repeal, while the Irish Times predicted “yes” would receive 68 percent of the vote, with “no” falling behind on 32 percent.

The exit polls are only predictions, with official tallies due Saturday afternoon. But if the numbers hold up, the victory margin for the “yes” vote will be greater than abortion rights activists predicted.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who is in favor of change, did not claim victory after seeing the exit polls late Friday but thanked everyone for voting.

“Democracy in action. It’s looking like we will make history tomorrow… #Together4Yes,” he tweeted.

Cora Sherlock, spokeswoman for the anti-abortion campaign, tweeted that if accurate the exit polls “paint a very sad state of affairs.”

“But those who voted No should take heart,” she added, “the pro-life movement will rise to any challenge it faces.”

If exit polls are correct and Ireland has voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment to its Constitution, it will then fall to parliament to establish new laws governing abortions.

Image:Ballot box — A ballot box is emptied as counting of the votes begins, the day after the Abortion Referendum, on liberalizing abortion laws in Dublin, Ireland.CLODAGH KILCOYNE / Reuters

The government proposes that the law be changed to allow unrestricted access to abortions up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Later abortions would also be allowed in special circumstances.

The once deeply Catholic country has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the European Union, with Malta — where abortion is banned under all circumstances — the only member of the 28-country bloc with tighter legislation.

More than 3.2 million people registered to vote in the referendum.

Ireland is one of the few E.U. countries that does not allow those abroad to vote by mail or at embassies, so many expatriates traveled to cast their ballots and shared their journeys on social media under the hashtag #hometovote.

Thousands of dollars were raised on Facebook overnight for people who realized that they could make it back to Ireland to vote but could not afford the last-minute flights.

Members of the Abroad for Yes group wired donations to people no longer living in Ireland.

Becky Breakey, who lives in the Hungarian city of Budapest, was able to travel after she posted that it would cost her 555 euros ($644) to return home. Aisling Cotter said she reached her target to get back from London after just eight minutes, while others were given enough money to fly from as far away as Montreal.

The referendum follows an emotive and often acrimonious campaign. Varadkar has warned that the referendum is a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity.

Saphora Smith reported from London.

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