A persistent stream of voters at polling booths around Northern Ireland yesterday indicated a high turnout for the crucial referendum poll on the Belfast Agreement. A leading election expert interpreted this as a very positive omen for the Yes camp, while the Democratic Unionist Party argued that anti-agreement unionists were holding firm.
The chief electoral officer, Mr Pat Bradley, said all the indications were that there could be a record poll in yesterday's referendum. Normally high polls were recorded west of the Bann, while in the east voters tended to be more apathetic.
But Mr Bradley said the general feedback was of high polling all over Northern Ireland. While he was reluctant to predict the final percentage turnout, other experienced observers said it could be between 70 per cent and 80 per cent. At some polling stations there were turnouts of up to 90 per cent.
Dr Sydney Elliott last night predicted that the Yes vote could reach 75 per cent or more, which was in marked contrast to the cautious 65 to 70 per cent forecasts of the pro-agreement unionist camp. He believed the majority of unionists would support the agreement, despite claims during the campaign by the unionist No team that the majority of unionist opinion was anti-agreement.
The DUP secretary, Mr Nigel Dodds, said unionist No voters "were holding solid". "Here in my area of north Belfast I don't detect any change in the overall anti-agreement unionist mood."
Dr Elliott, senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science in Queen's University Belfast, said he expected a high overall turnout, which could contribute to a strong Yes vote of 75 per cent or more. "I think the Yes campaign turned the corner a couple of days ago. I would expect a result showing 3:1 in favour of the agreement," he added.
High polls in the east, where unionists are in the majority, would be particularly significant because it would indicate that traditionally apathetic unionists were endorsing the agreement, Dr Elliott said. "I think the referendum has also caught the imagination of young people."
Moreover, Dr Elliott expected that while some Ulster Unionist Party voters would have opposed the agreement, he believed the majority would return to the party fold for the assembly elections.
The North's three daily newspapers all called for a Yes vote, the most striking front page coming from the unionist News Letter. Most of its front page was taken up with the declaration: "Say Yes and Say it Loud". In a play on the slogan of the united unionist opposition to the agreement it added: "The News Letter says it's right to vote Yes."
The nationalist Irish News editorial said it was "time to trust each other". It called for a "convincing Yes vote". The more politically middle-of-the-road evening Belfast Telegraph said the people of Northern Ireland must "stand up and be counted" and "vote Yes".
It said a No vote would be interpreted by nationalists and "the wider world as signifying that unionists want to retreat into the past. By contrast, an overwhelming Yes vote will show that Northern Ireland wants to bring its nightmare to an end."
While Mr David Trimble did a last-minute morning canvass on the Shankill, most leaders, such as Mr John Hume of the SDLP, the Rev Ian Paisley of the DUP and Mr Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein, appeared of the opinion that the time for campaigning was over and that people should be allowed to make up their own minds.
"Now is the time for people in the quietness of the ballot booths to make their own decisions," Dr Paisley said.
Mr Bradley said there was unprecedented international media interest in the referendum. This had unfortunate repercussions for a Danish sound recordist, who suffered a suspected broken leg as photographers and camera crews struggled to get shots of Dr Paisley casting his vote in east Belfast.
A total of 1,175,741 people were entitled to vote in yesterday's referendum in the North. If the predictions of a turnout of around 80 per cent are correct, up to one million people voted yesterday. In the Westminster and local government elections last year the overall poll was only 67 per cent and 55 per cent, respectively.
Counting of the votes starts today at 9 a.m. at the King's Hall in south Belfast. A decision is due by mid to late afternoon.
