Voting underway in the North today

Voting is underway in the Northern Ireland Assembly election today, Thursday, March 2.

It’s the second poll in less than a year and follows the collapse of power-sharing in January.

The 2017 Assembly Election was called after the resignation of former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness amid the ‘cash for ash’/RHI scandal which has heaped pressure on DUP Leader Arlene Foster.

228 candidates are competing for 90 seats across Northern Ireland's 18 constituencies.

Counting in the election will begin  tomorrow morning.

There are 12 candidates vying for the five seats in Leitrim's neighbouring constituency Fermanagh-south Tyrone.

They are: Arlene Foster and Maurice Morrow (DUP); Rosemary Barton (UUP); Sean Lynch, Michelle Gildernew and Jemma Dolan (Sinn Féin); Richie McPhillips (SDLP); Tanya Jones (Green Party); Noreen Campbell (Alliance); Donal O’Cofaigh (Cross Community Labour Alternative); Richard Dunn (Conservatives); and Alex Elliott (TUV).

If post-election talks cannot mend tensions between the former coalition partners then direct rule from London is on the cards.