Ireland goes to the polls in general election

DUBLIN, IRELAND - NOVEMBER 29: Voting has officially begun in Ireland's general election, with citizens in Dublin heading to the polls to elect 'Teachtai Dala' (TDs) to the Dail Eireann, the lower house of parliament, on November 29, 2024. A TD is a member of the lower house of Ireland's parliament, the Oireachtas. The election will determine the 34th Dail, expanding to 174 members, up from 160 in 2020. Only 173 TDs will be elected, as one seat is reserved for the Ceann Comhairle (Parliament Speaker). A party or coalition needs 88 TDs for a majority and over 3.4 million are registered to vote. Candidates include members from political parties in Ireland such as Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Sinn Fein, as well as independents and other smaller parties. Vote counting begins Saturday morning and may continue into next week. The first session of the new Dail is scheduled for December 18, with a new Taoiseach (Prime Minister) to be appointed shortly after. (Photo by Mostafa Darwish/Anadolu via Getty Images)