#AE17 - Everything you need to know
Polls open today at 7am for the Stormont Assembly election.
Last updated 2nd Mar 2017
228 candidates are battling it out for 90 seats - that's down from the previous number of 108. Counting will start on Friday morning with the last results not expected until later on Saturday.
THE BIG QUESTIONS ANSWERED:
Where do I go to vote?
There are over 600 polling stations right across Northern Ireland, but you cant just decide which one you want to use. The electoral office will have sent you a polling card and on that you will find details of where you should go to cast your vote.
When can I vote?
The polls are open for 15 hours from 7am right through until 10pm on Thursday 2nd March. If you arrive at a polling station before 10 o'clock this evening and at 10pm you are still waiting to cast your ballot you WILL be able to vote.
Do I need to bring anything with me?
The most important thing is photographic ID as without it you wont be allowed to vote. A passport, driving license,Translink travel pass or an electoral card are all vaild forms of identification. You don't actually need your polling card to vote, but it can speed up the process.
What do I do with my ballot paper?
Quite simply you rank the candidates in order of preference. In other words, the person you most want to get elected will be number 1, then you put a 2 beside your second preference and so on..... for as many candidates as you like.
Can I take a picture and put it on social media?
You run the risk of breaching secrecy rules if you do that. While you might be happy letting people know you voted, you could accidently reveal how someone else in the polling station voted. So it's best to take any pictures outside the polling station.
How did we get here?
The next ballot had been due to take place in May 2021 after a poll last May, but power-sharing arrangements collapsed in January.
What happens next?
If post-election talks cannot mend tensions between the former coalition partners then direct rule from London is on the cards
While the vote will not change how Theresa May's Government treats talks to leave the European Union, the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland could become an issue in how Brexit is introduced.