99-year-old Ita Crossan is greeted by Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and Sinn Fein MEP Martina Anderson on her arrival at the polling station at St John’s Primary School.
Voting is reported to be slow but steady at Derry’s polling stations as voters go the polls in the European Parliament election and the historic election for the new Derry-Strabane “super council.”
Polls opened this morning at 7.00am and will close at 10.00pm tonight.
One of the oldest voters in the country was one of the first to go to the polls this morning.
Ita Crossan, from Beechwood Avenue – who is in her 100th year – was accompanied by daughter Jane when she cast her vote at St John’s Primary School in Creggan.
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and Sinn Fein MEP Martina Anderson have also cast their votes.
The accompanied each other to the polling station at the Model Primary School on Northland Road.
Ms Anderson is one of four Sinn Fein candidates from throughout the island of Ireland contesting the European Parliament election.
SDLP Foyle MP Mark Durkan and his wife Jackie arriving at the polling station the Foyle Disability Resource Centre.
There are a total of ten candidates fighting three seats in the North’s European constituency.
Foyle MP, Mark Durkan, was also out early to cast his vote, along with wife Jackie, at the Foyle Disability Resource Centre.
The Electoral Office has warned the public they are not allowed to take “selfies” inside the polling stations.
If caught they face a fine of up to £5,000.
The local government ballot boxes will be kept overnight before being opened for tomorrow’s count, expected to take two days, in Templemore Sports Complex.
The results in the European election will not be known until all 28 countries have voted and a central count is completed in Belfast’s King’s Hall on Monday.
In the local government election, a total of 71 candidates are contesting the 40 seats up that are for grabs in the newly drawn up seven district electoral wards, five in Derry and two in Strabane.
They are: Ballyarnett (6), Derg (5), Faughan (5), Foyleside (5), The Moor (5), Waterside (7) and Sperrin (7).
For the next 10 months, successful candidates from the five Derry wards will serve on Derry City Council while the those elected in the two Strabane wards will serve on Strabane District Council.
From 1 April next year, they will amalgamate to form the new Derry-Strabane “super council.”
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and Sinn Fein MEP Martina Anderson arriving at the polling station at the Model Primary School on Northland Road.
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