NI heads to the polls

Polling is under way in the General Election in Northern Ireland as voters cast a ballot for the seventh time in three years.

109 candidates are battling it out for 18 seats across Northern Ireland - that's around 30 less than the General Election two years ago.

33% of those vying for a seat are women, which is a rise from 2015.

Polling stations are open until 10pm this evening and details on where you need to go should be on your polling card.

In this election there are no numbers - you only need to place an X beside your preferred candidate.

And don't be tempted to take a selfie in the voting booth, as you could be breaking laws which ensure the secrey of the ballot.

Election fatigue has been one of the explanations offered for what was a low-key campaign in the region.

The poll comes just three months after a snap Assembly election triggered by the collapse of powersharing.

In the past three years, there has also been another general and Assembly election, a European election, a local government election and the EU referendum.

For many local politicians, the snap general election was an unwanted distraction from efforts to restore the Stormont institutions.

Floundering negotiations to re-establish a coalition government in Belfast, which were put on ice during the campaign, will resume once the dust settles on Thursday's results.

The ongoing Assembly crisis blurred the lines between Stormont and Westminster issues on the campaign trail, with the blame game over the implosion of devolution spilling into the race for Westminster seats.

As in the rest of the UK, Brexit was a key campaign issue.

Counting will take place at seven centres across the region, with results expected during the early hours of Friday.