Voting in the Assembly election was reported to be "steady" last night across Northern Ireland. Polling stations in all 18 constituencies were said to be busier throughout the day than during the last Stormont election in November 2003 when slightly more than 63 per cent of the electorate voted.
There were difficulties reported in West Belfast over the use of one of the forms of mandatory photographic identification but elsewhere polling was conducted without incident.
Party sources said the turnout dispelled notions that voters would stay at home in larger numbers after a lacklustre five-week campaign.
The absence of any significant controversy is being attributed more to the absence of any campaign blunders by the main parties than to a loss of interest in the poll by the electorate. A fall in the number of postal vote applications by about 30 per cent had prompted fears that voter apathy would result in turnout dipping below 60 per cent.
There was significant international interest as the Sinn Féin president and DUP leader cast their ballots in Belfast yesterday.
Dozens of reporters and camera crews from around the world followed Gerry Adams to his local polling station in West Belfast. On the other side of the city, the Rev Ian Paisley, accompanied by his wife, Baroness Eileen Paisley, were prevented for a short time from making it to their polling station, such was the scale of media interest.
Like Dr Paisley, Sir Reg Empey, the Ulster Unionist leader, also voted in East Belfast. SDLP leader Mark Durkan voted in Derry, accompanied by his wife, Jackie, and young daughter Dearbhail, while Alliance leader David Ford voted in South Antrim.
Party sources said they were happy last night with levels of voter turnout in advance of the anticipated evening rush.
However, there were concerns that the traditional late surge to the polls could be tempered by the return of wet weather after a fine day, and the televising of several important European soccer games and a keenly awaited episode of Coronation Street.
Taxis were reportedly booked in advance in West Belfast to ferry voters to the polls during half time in last night's Champions League matches, which involved Celtic, Arsenal and Manchester United.
The DUP fielded 46 candidates, the largest number of party hopefuls in the election, and is seeking to build on its current holding of 32 seats.
Sinn Féin nominated 37 candidates and the party is confident of enlarging its Assembly group from the 24 it held.
The SDLP is running 35 candidates and is adamant it will increase its Stormont total of 18 members. In particular the party is targeting a Sinn Féin seat in Newry and Mourne and an Alliance seat in Strangford.
The Ulster Unionists have 38 candidates battling to halt the rise of the DUP, which comfortably overtook the UUP in the 2003 Assembly poll.
The election has been unusual in that certain candidates stood in more than one constituency.
UK Unionist Bob McCartney stood in six constituencies, the Make Politicians History party is running the same candidate in all four Belfast constituencies, and victims campaigner Willie Frazer stood in constituencies as distant as Foyle in the north west and Newry and Armagh.
Twenty-six candidates are listed as Independent Republicans and comprise mostly Republican Sinn Féin candidates.
The Northern Ireland Electoral Office claims RSF has not registered as a political party.
More than 1.11 million voters using 600 polling stations will return 108 Assembly members chosen from among 256 candidates.
Counting begins this morning in eight centres across the North with the final seats due to be declared by tomorrow evening.