NI Assembly election tomorrow- do you know how you are voting tomorrow ?

[CheckTheGreen]

I have looked at the results from 2016 and 2011 to formulate a more strategic list for my constituency, am I the only one putting this amount of thought into it? Most people I speak to know the party they want to vote for and not the candidate, nor indeed who their second, third, etc. choices will be. I think this vote is too important for such flippant attitudes! Do you have a list?

I have a list, I know who I'm voting for, what party they're from and what order I'm voting for them in.

Hopefully it's just my friends and family that are being idiots! Do you know many non voters? And how far down the list do you think you will go? I'll be leaving off a good three or four and a few more I'm not sure are worth my 7th, 8th and 9th spot.

Everyone that I know of is voting. I'm voting for four people, I don't want to give the others any vote as small as it may be.

Oh I'm just having this conversation with my husband . We usually vote for different parties or rank preferences differently. I know lots of non voters and lots of voters who would crawl over broken glass to vote. I have in the past spoilt my vote, I just can't bring myself to vote for some parties - I'm not a fan of the lesser of two evils type of voting. I think it depends on what issues are most important to you or if you are thinking of voting on one issue - which I am (I think).

I'm finding it very hard to decide who to go with this time, really difficult and I'm no spring chicken, I'm well used to voting. The Stormont govt has continuously screwed people over from education to health services to scandals and diversion of public money to lack of money for infrastructure. I can't think of one party that even comes close to campaigning for issues that are important to me - I don't blame people for not bothering and I certainly don't think they're idiots.

Wiggles I agree to an extent. I think people need to vote even if it is for the best of a bad bunch otherwise the people with a more polarised opinion win. Yet again.

I'll be voting and I know who for, although I haven't done a full analysis of which options I should put and in which order.

I do wish more people would vote though as there definitely needs to be a shake up of the status quo as it feels like the inevitable outcome will once again be DUP/ Sinn Fein holding the top jobs.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what would be the best outcome for Brexit negotiations? I was pondering this the other day when someone on the radio was talking about how we would revert to direct rule if an assembly executive wasn't in place within three weeks of the election. My initial reaction was that to get the best outcome for NI we need to have the local assembly there doing their job, but then I remembered what a useless bunch the majority of our politicians are.

I think that is the impossible question Punjana :(

It really is isn't it.

On the one hand it would be good to have a local representation doing their best to make sure NI get the best outcome, but in reality there is just going to be squabbling whilst MLAs play politics along the usual division rather than using common sense to see the practicalities of the situation.

On the other maybe if the central UK government were in direct rule then for once they would actually have to take notice of the fact that NI is part of the UK and that a brexit deal will need to include our needs, but will it actually make any difference?

Rock and a hard place.

Yes, I have my four choices and what order I want them in. I don't mind saying that my main two tick boxes are candidates for equal marriage and pro choice. I do have other issues but these are the main ones that cancelled out a lot of contenders fairly quickly.

Everyone I know so far is voting, some for smaller parties that they wouldn't have before. I still predict a DUP/SF win however and am dreading seeing their smug faces when they do.

My polling station was busier than I've seen it in a long time!

That's great to hear! I can't go til after work and was dreading it because it'll be peak time, but you are right, that is a good thing! I was just reading about STV and it's pickled my brain a bit but considering changing my top 5 order. Luckily I have a few more hours to decide. Are there many canvassers at anyone's station?

I'm watching with interest. Live in London now so not voting but so worried about this outcome and how it will affect NIs future for all my family and friends there.

Our polling station appears to be quieter than normal - I can see it from my upstairs. Voted this morning and only one person canvassing, the DUP.

Vote cast! My polling station was also very quiet, I wonder if it is because it was 8pm on a wet night? Tomorrow will be interesting...

What do you think of the results?

I am generally pleased. It's not the ideal outcome but certainly better than what we had... no more PoC! Without help from other parties that is.

Not exactly great to see the typical orange and green tribal parties doing the best. I'm trying to look at the positives - it feels a lot more balanced, no one party able to use petition of concern without support from other parties and Alliance keeping all their seats despite the amount of seats reduced.

Change will always come slowly, can't expect a massive overhaul all at once.

Checking first count results this is what happened :
DUP topping the poll in 8 constituencies.
Sinn Féin topping the poll in 9 constituencies
Alliance topping the poll in 1 constituency.

So yes, very tribal.

Is it a bank holiday in Northern Ireland on Friday - 17 th March ?
Will government offices be open?
Thank you.

Yes Holly it is a BH and the offices will be closed

Thank you