Northern Ireland's politicians were tonight preparing for a nail-biting European Parliament election count with the Ulster Unionists and the nationalist SDLP expected to fight it out for the final seat.
The results of yesterday's election will not be known until Monday when counting begins.
However, as ballot papers were verified today across the 18 constituencies, it emerged that turnout was stronger in Westminster constituencies with nationalist MPs.
The Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein believed their candidates Mr Jim Allister and Ms Bairbre de Brun would capture the first two of Northern Ireland's three European Parliament seats.
The battle for the final seat was expected to be between Ulster Unionist MEP Mr Jim Nicholson and the SDLP's Mr Martin Morgan.
Over all turnout was estimated by the parties to be around 51 per cent, which was typical for a European election in Northern Ireland but down on 1999 figure.
Tally men at the verification of ballots reported that Sinn Fein MP Mr Martin McGuinness's Mid Ulster constituency was reporting a 65.4 per cent turnout while his Westminster colleague Ms Michelle Gildernew's Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency returned a 66 per cent turnout.
By way of contrast, Unionist constituencies such as North Down and Strangford reported poor voter turnout, with 38 per cent and 39.9 per cent respectively.