Laois General Election voting underway in historic poll
Dozen Laois candidates on ballot papers with all eyes on Brian Stanley's seat
After three weeks of hectic campaigning for Laois General Election candidates it is finally up to 66,000 Laois people to decide who they want in the Dáil as their TDs.
A total of 114 polling stations opened around Laois at 7am on Friday, November 2024 in what is a historic General Election for the Midlands county.
A dozen candidates are vying to win the support of 65,873 voters in their bid to win one of three Dáil seats in the new Laois General Election constituency.
Women make up half the field while five candidates are running as independents. Fianna Fáil is fielding two candidates with Fine Gael, Sinn Féin, Aontú, People Before Profit and the Green Party also contesting.
The resignation of Brian Stanley from Sinn Féin has put the focus on the Laois constituency but his former party are making a big effort to unseat him with Mary Lou McDonald visiting the constituency twice to back Maria McCormack.
Seán Fleming is a favourite to retain a seat for Fianna Fáil which he first won in 1997. Long serving county councillor Willie Aird will make history for Fine Gael if he manages to retain a seat for his party which has been held for Charlie Flanagan who is retiring.
The 2024 election marks the first national poll since World War II that a member of the Flanagan family has not been on the ballot paper. Charlie's father was elected as an independent TD in the 1940s before joining Fine Gael in the early 1950s until he retired in the 1980s.
The following are the names to appear on ballot papers November 29.
- AIRD, William, FINE GAEL (Nutgrove, Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Public Representative & Farmer)
- FLANAGAN Pauline, NON-PARTY (Hawthorn Drive, Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Lecturer)
- FLEMING, Sean, FIANNA FÁIL (Castletown, Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Public Representative)
- HANDE, Mary, AONTU (Barrowvale, Portlaoise Road, Graiguecullen, Co. Laois, Secondary Teacher)
- LYNCH, Jason, NON-PARTY (Summerhill Lane, Stradbally Road, Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Paramedic)
- MC CORMACK, Maria, SINN FÉIN (Feilbrook, Dublin Road, Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Pharmacy Technician)
- MOONEY, Ken, PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT - SOLIDARITY (Forest Cottages, Mountrath, Co. Laois, Office Clerk)
- MORAN, Aisling, NON-PARTY (Cullenagh, Ballylinan, Co. Laois, Public Representative)
- MULLALLY, Elaine, NON-PARTY (Ballymorris Road, Portarlington, Co. Laois, Managing Director)
- PALMER, Rosie, GREEN PARTY/COMHAONTAS GLAS (Thornberry, Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, Parliamentary Assistant)
- STACK, Austin, FIANNA FÁIL (Roundwood Close,, Maryborough Village, Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Health and Safety Consultant)
- STANLEY, Brian, NON-PARTY (5 Church Street, Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Public Representative)
The General Election Count Centre for Laois is the Nagle Rice Hall at the Scoil Chríost Rí / St Mary's CBS school complex on the Borris Road in Portlaoise.
Counting could run into Sunday and beyond but the famous party tally system is likely to have a insight into a possible outcome by lunchtime on Saturday.
It will be the first time the school complex will be used for a General Election. It was used in June 2024 to sort Laois votes in the European and Local Elections.
St Mary's Hall was the traditional county centre in Portlaoise when the county for the Laois Offaly General Election Constituency was counted in Portlaoise.
The man in charge of the election is Rory Hanniffy who is also taking charge of his first General Election as Returning officer for Laois and Offaly as he is County Registrar for both counties.