The counting of votes for the Irish general election is reported to begin at 9 am this morning. The electoral system for electing the 160 members of Dáil Eireann is by single transferable vote. STV means the voter elects their preferred candidate and may elect back up preferences. The Irish electoral system as documented is believed to be of a system where each vote is credited according to the first preference, but may be transferred on later counts to the next available preference in the case of the first preference candidate being elected, having received their quota or falling out. All votes are believed to be validated in this system, which may help provide proportionate representation and representation for minority groups.
The counting of the votes begins with the ballot papers being sorted into piles and inspected for validity. The piles are then counted manually, witnesses observing. The count is recorded and counted again. If the results do not agree, it is counted a third time.
When all the piles are counted and the results agree, the results are certified and made public. The count as received is made public to allow anyone to double check the raw data. Such a system may be used for recounts.