Polling booths for today's three referendums open this morning at 8 a.m. and will close 13 hours later at 9 p.m.
Some 2,867,960 people are eligible to vote. In the last referendum, on the Treaty of Amsterdam, Dublin North Central had the highest turnout when 65.7 per cent of those eligible voted, while Galway West had the lowest when 48.91 per cent voted.
Voters will be given three separate colour-coded ballot papers, each clearly headed with the name of the referendum to which it refers.
The paper headed "Treaty of Nice" will be white. The paper dealing with "Prohibition of Death Penalty" will be blue. The third paper, headed "International Criminal Court", will be pink.
In each case, if the elector approves of the proposal, they should mark X in the square beside Ta/Yes on the ballot paper. If the voter does not approve of the proposal, they should mark X in the square beside Nil/No on the ballot paper.
Some voters may be required to produce evidence of identity before being allowed to vote.
Various documents are acceptable including a driving licence, passport, medical card, employee identity card, social services card or book, credit or bank card, cheque book, bank book, credit union membership card, birth certificate, marriage certificate or free travel card.
For the convenience of the polling station staff, voters are asked to bring the polling card with them which was posted to voters in recent days.
However, this is not necessary, and the polling card will not suffice if evidence of identity is requested.
The count will begin tomorrow at 9 a.m. in centres around the State. The Nice Treaty referendum ballots will be counted first.
A result on Nice is expected by 6 p.m. or earlier, after which the referendum on the death penalty will be counted, followed by that on the International Criminal Court.
Counting could go on until midnight or later. Ballots in each of the 41 Dail constituencies will be counted separately in centres throughout the State. Results will be announced locally and will be posted on a dedicated website www.referendum.ie within minutes.
They will then be transmitted to the national results centre in the Custom House in Dublin where the national result will be collated and announced by Mr Peter Greene, a principal officer at the Department of the Environment, who has been appointed referendum returning officer.
Each local returning officer in the 29 count centres around the State will inform Mr Greene of the total poll, number of invalid ballot papers, total valid poll and the number of votes for and against the proposal to amend the Constitution.