Ireland Votes on Proposal to Ease Abortion Rules
- Voters to decide whether to remove constitional block
- Removing ban would be further step away from church influence
Campaigners for the Love Both pro-life campaign canvass members of the public, urging people to vote 'no' in the referendum, in Dublin on May 24.
Photographer: Barry Cronin/AFP via Getty Images
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Ireland appears poised to liberalize some of Western Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws in a vote that may represent the nation’s most decisive break yet with its Roman Catholic roots.
Voting on removing a constitutional ban on pregnancy terminations in most circumstances started at 7 a.m. on Friday in Dublin and ends at 10 p.m. The vote count will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday with polls and bookmakers’ odds suggesting the government’s proposal will pass. Broadcaster RTE is planning to release an exit poll as early as 11:30 p.m. on Friday.