Smith top amongst postal voters

Irish citizens living abroad can only vote if they are in the country on election day.

Fianna Fáil's Brendan Smith proved most popular amongst voters unable to attend in person to cast their ballot on polling day, and opted instead to ensure they still had a potential say in the make-up of the 34th Dáil by sending their choice by mail.

While people are ordinarily required to vote in person at a designated polling station, they may register to vote by post or other means in certain circumstances.

As it stands, Irish citizens living abroad can only vote if they are in the country on election day.

Exceptions are made in certain circumstances to allow for postal voting, such as for members of the Irish Defence Forces stationed abroad, diplomats and their spouses posted abroad, and voters with physical illnesses or disabilities and those studying or in prison.

According to tallies Smith emerged with 92 of the 511 votes cast by post, almost double the number cast for every other candidate bar four others.

Fine Gael's David Maxwell claimed 66 votes posted in, and Fianna Fáil's Robbie Gallagher got 52.

Sinn Féin's Matt Carthy and Fine Gael's Carmel Brady each had 47 votes cast in their favour from a distance, Niamh Smyth (FF) 44, while Cathy Bennett received 38, TP O'Reilly (36) and Pauline Tully (SF) 31.

Only one other candidate received double figures in their favour by post and that was Aontú's Sarah O'Reilly.

The remainder all got less than 10 first preferences each by post but none ended up with zero.

FOLLOW: Our election blog HERE