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Thu 05 May 2007All parties hoping for higher poll after hard campaignVoters will go to the polls today in one of the most hotly-contested and unpredictable elections of recent times. Over three million people are entitled to vote and all the parties are hoping that the competitive campaign will reverse the trend of declining turnouts in elections.Polling stations open at 7.30am and will remain open until 10.30pm. The counting of votes will begin at 9am tomorrow, with the first counts expected in the late afternoon. Voters will elect 165 of the 166 TDs to the 30th Dáil, with the Ceann Comhairle, Dr Rory O'Hanlon, being automatically returned.