Irish voters chose a president in a nationwide ballot

LONDON – Irish voters are choosing a president in a nationwide election.

Polling stations throughout the country are open Friday with more than 3.2 million people entitled to vote. The official results are expected Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning.

Six candidates are competing for the mostly ceremonial post, including incumbent President Michael Higgins and challenger Peter Casey.

Voters are also being asked whether they want to remove the crime of blasphemy from the Irish constitution.

Official vote counting will begin Saturday morning.