Exit poll shows Higgins winning re-election as Ireland’s president

An exit poll indicates that Michael D. Higgins has been re-elected president of the Republic of Ireland.

According to the BBC, the poll showed Higgins received 58 percent of first preference votes.

The Irish presidency is largely a symbolic role.

The poll — by Irish Broadcaster RTÉ and conducted by Red Calso — also showed 71 percent of surveyed voters voted “yes” to removing the reference to blasphemy from the Irish constitution.

The official result is expected Saturday evening.

Read this next: Trump lashes out at Twitter over his follower count