LIVE: How Waterford voted - Presidential Election 2025 - We are WLR FM

8:45am

Counting is due to get underway at 9am at the SETU Arena Waterford count centre for the 2025 Presidential Election.

Ballot boxes have arrived, tally teams are in position, and the first figures are expected later this morning.

Throughout the day yesterday, WLR visited polling stations across the County. There were several reports of low turnout and voter apathy about the lack of candidates on the ballot itself.

Here is what we know so far:

Turnout across Waterford ranged from 37% to 48%. There’s a total electorate in Waterford City and County of 91,411.

Follow our live updates here and on air throughout the day as Waterford’s votes are sorted, tallied, and counted.

9am

And we’re off, the boxes are being opened and ballots sorted and piled.

9.15am

Early tallies are showing a commanding lead for Catherine Connolly across the County, almost double the vote of Heather Humphreys in most areas.

We are seeing some votes for Jim Gavin and a lot of spoilt votes as well, many with Maria Steen written on them.

It is early days yet, so there is still time for things to change.

9.45am

Some early half votes from boxes around the City, many of the County boxes have yet to be opened. They are only counting half boxes here today as there has not been a big turnout for the count.

It is looking like a strong lead for Connolly still.

The closest early tally between the two has come from St John of God’s with Catherine Connolly on 50, Heather Humphreys on 48 and 11 spoilt votes there.

10.30am

Getting a clearer picture of turnout now with a total electorate in Waterford of 90,411, there were 39,166 votes cast. That means turnout is 43.31% which is nearly the exact same as the 2018 Presidential Election turnout here in Waterford, that stood at 43.35%

11.30am

We have 46% of boxes opened and tallied, with turnout at this point 40% of those opened. The figures so far:

Catherine Connolly (IND): 61%

Jim Gavin (FF): 5%

Heather Humphreys: 21%

Spoilt: 13%

If we remove the spoilt or invalid votes, and just look at the valid votes, it looks like this:

Catherine Connolly (IND): 70%

Jim Gavin (FF): 6%

Heather Humphreys: 24%

11.45am

We are now up to 60% of the total poll tallied. If we take the total vote including spoilt and invalid votes it is:

Catherine Connolly (IND): 60%

Jim Gavin (FF): 5%

Heather Humphreys: 22%

Spoilt: 13%

IF we strip away the spoilt and invalid votes and look at just valid, it looks more like this:

Catherine Connolly (IND): 69%

Jim Gavin (FF): 6%

Heather Humphreys: 25%

Now it is important to emphasis at this point that these are rough estimates as there are only half boxes been counted. So these figures aren’t an exact science, but give an idea of how Waterford is voting.

12PM

It is just turned midday here in the SETU arena, the votes have been tallied and we are just waiting for the count to get underway.

If the tallies are anything to go by, we may have just one count here.

12.15PM

With 77% of the boxes tallied in Waterford, the final figures ahead of the count. The valid figures are:

Catherine Connolly (IND) 68%

Jim Gavin (FF) 6%

Heather Humphreys (FG) 26%

12.30PM

While we wait for the count to officially begin here, let’s take a look at the National valid vote:

Catherine Connolly (IND) 67.42%

Jim Gavin (FF) 6.81%

Heather Humphreys (FG) 25.76%

Nationally so far, the spoilt vote seems to be tracking at 12%.

12.45PM

We won’t get a 100% tally here today, unfortunately as not enough people showed up to carry them out. We need to patiently await the count now, which is due to get underway shortly.

While we wait, just to bring you an idea on how each Local Electoral Area in Waterford voted.

Dungarvan – Connolly 55%, Gavin 7%, Humphreys 22% Spoilt 12%.

Lismore – Connolly 56%, Gavin 4%, Humphreys 27%, Spoilt 13%.

Portlaw/Kilmacthomas – Connolly 52%, Gavin 6%, Humphreys 26%, Spoilt 16%.

Tramore/Waterford City West – Connolly 63%, Gavin 6%, Humphreys 19%, Spoilt 12%.

Waterford City East – Connolly 56%, Gavin 6%, Humphreys 27% Spoilt 10%

Waterford City South – Connolly 69%, Gavin 3%, Humphreys 12% Spoilt 15%

1.30PM

Still awaiting the first count here in SETU Arena, count staff are busy sifting through the votes.

1.45PM

Speaking on the way out of the count centre today, Fine Gael Councillor, Jim D’Arcy, spoke to WLR and said the campaign from a party perspective was run poorly.

Councillor D’Arcy added that Fine Gael are not good at elections, and they need to learn from the many mistakes they have made in this election and the ones before.

Thomas Phelan who is a Councillor for the Labour Party expressed his dismay at the number of spoilt votes, specifically referring to the number of ballot papers with Maria Steen on them.

Councillor Phelan said that Maria Steen had the opportunity to go before Waterford City and County Council and did not.

2.00PM

And we’re off. The first count is now underway.

Just a novelty piece of information. There are 24 staff in the count centre counting Catherine Connolly’s votes, 8 counting for Heather Humphreys, and 3 for Jim Gavin.

2.15PM

While the count is still underway in Waterford, Heather Humphreys has conceded the presidential election and congratulated Catherine Connolly.

3.00PM

Counting still underway in SETU Arena, staff are diligently doing their work and until then we wait.

3.30PM

First and final counts are starting to come in from two counties with Louth and Offaly all wrapped up. We are still waiting on a first count here in Waterford. However, it is likely there will only be one count.

4.00pm

Still no sign of a count here at SETU. Hopefully, it won’t be too much longer.

4.30PM

As polling stations across the country, we are still waiting in SETU Arena.

5.00PM

Count centre staff who have worked hard all day are starting to file out of SETU Arena as there work is done.

This is the first sign that a count is pending. We can definitively say there will be one count here.

There are 30 constituencies out of 43 reporting counts, so Waterford is running a bit behind.

6.30PM

Speaking to the Returning Officer and it would seem the votes are all counted and ready to go, but they need the go ahead from Dublin before declaring the actual vote here.

It should be noted that 41 out of 43 constituencies have declared, it is just Waterford and Dublin North West left.