Irish Election Day 2025: Presidential Vote & Results

Irish voters headed to the polls on Friday 24 October 2025 for a presidential election that delivered a record-breaking victory before the final tallies were even complete. With three candidates on the ballot and a truncated nomination period, the contest produced a decisive outcome: Catherine Connolly won with 63.36% of first-preference votes, the largest margin ever recorded in an Irish presidential election, according to the official results page (presidentialelection.ie).

Polling date: 24 October 2025 ·
Nomination close: 12 noon, 24 September 2025 ·
Elected candidate share (2025): 63.36% first-preference (Connolly) ·
Previous election: 2018 ·
Term length: 7 years

When is the Irish presidential election 2025?

Official polling day and timeline

Ireland held its presidential election on 24 October 2025, a date set by Minister Browne when he signed the Presidential Election Order on 3 September 2025 (Electoral Commission – election order). Voting took place from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. across all constituencies (Wikipedia – election details).

• Nomination period opened at 10:00 on 5 September 2025 and closed at 12:00 noon on 24 September 2025 (Electoral Commission – nomination rules).
• A nominated candidate could withdraw at any time before the completion of the ruling on nominations, but not after (Electoral Commission – withdrawal policy).

The implication: the compressed nomination window meant campaigns had roughly three weeks to mobilise support after the order was issued.

Who are the candidates in the 2025 Irish presidential election?

Confirmed candidates and their backgrounds

Three candidates stood on the ballot, according to the official results page (presidentialelection.ie):

• Catherine Martina Ann Connolly — winner with 63.36% of first-preference votes (914,143 votes).
• Heather Humphreys — runner-up with 29.46% of first-preference votes (424,987 votes).
• Jim Gavin — received 7.18% of first-preference votes (103,568 votes).

No other candidates are listed in the verified source.

The pattern: Connolly’s margin of victory was the largest ever recorded in an Irish presidential election, as noted by the Fondation Robert Schuman (EU policy monitor).

What are the latest Irish presidential election 2025 polls?

Polling data and public opinion trends

The only verified poll data for the 2025 election comes from the official result itself, not from independent pre-election surveys. According to the presidentialelection.ie results page, the first-preference shares were as above. The total valid poll was 1,442,698, and the total poll (including invalid votes) reached 1,656,436, with 213,738 invalid votes (12.89% of votes cast) according to the official results announcement on YouTube.

Turnout stood at 45.83%, slightly higher than the 2018 election (Fondation Robert Schuman (EU policy monitor)).

Why this matters: Without pre-election opinion polls, the official result is the only benchmark for understanding voter sentiment — and the high spoilage rate suggests significant voter frustration.

What were the results of the Irish presidential election 2025?

Official election outcome

The final first-preference count gave Catherine Connolly 914,143 votes (63.36%), Heather Humphreys 424,987 (29.46%), and Jim Gavin 103,568 (7.18%), as published on the presidentialelection.ie official results page. Connolly was declared elected after reaching the quota (YouTube – official announcement).

The Fondation Robert Schuman reported that her margin of victory was the largest ever in an Irish presidential election (Fondation Robert Schuman (EU policy monitor)). Humphreys conceded after preliminary tallies on 25 October 2025 indicated a landslide (Wikipedia – concession report).

The catch: The high invalid vote rate — 213,738 ballots — raises questions about ballot design or voter confusion, and no official analysis has been published yet.

Timeline of the 2025 election

• 3 September 2025 — Minister Browne signs the Presidential Election Order (Electoral Commission).
• 5 September 2025 (10:00) — Nomination period opens (Electoral Commission).
• 24 September 2025 (12:00) — Nomination period closes (Electoral Commission).
• 24 October 2025 — Polling day; votes cast from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Wikipedia).
• 25 October 2025 — Results announced; Catherine Connolly declared winner (YouTube – official announcement).

What we know for sure

• Polling day was 24 October 2025 (Electoral Commission).
• Nomination period opened 5 September 2025 and closed 24 September 2025 (Electoral Commission).
• Catherine Connolly won with 63.36% of first-preference votes (presidentialelection.ie).
• Heather Humphreys received 29.46% of first-preference votes (presidentialelection.ie).
• Jim Gavin was a candidate (presidentialelection.ie).
• Turnout was 45.83%, 1.96 points higher than 2018 (Fondation Robert Schuman).

Uncertainties

• No independent pre-election polling data is confirmed.
• Full candidate list beyond the three named candidates is not verified from provided sources.
• Reasons for the high invalid vote rate (12.89%) have not been officially explained.

Quotes from election officials

“The Presidential Election Order has been made, setting the date for the election on Friday, 24 October 2025.”

– Minister Browne, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Electoral Commission – announcement context)

“The President of Ireland is the head of state. The term of office shall be seven years, and no person may serve more than two terms.”

– Electoral Commission (Ireland) (Electoral Commission – role description)

“Catherine Connolly has been elected President of Ireland after reaching the quota.”

– Official results announcement (YouTube – official declaration)

The 2025 Irish presidential election will be remembered for Connolly’s historic margin and the unusually high spoilage rate. For the Electoral Commission, the next step is clear: analyse the invalid vote data and consider whether ballot design or voter education needs reform.

The winner was announced on election night, with full 2025 Irish presidential election results 2025 Irish presidential election results showing Catherine Connolly’s historic landslide victory.

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