In Pictures: Voters and a pug cast their ballots in the Irish General Election

Turnout is expected to play a vital role in this year’s General Election – even the furry kind.

Sonia Higgins, carrying her dog Chico, arrives to cast her vote in Ireland's General Election — Sonia Higgins, carrying her dog Chico, arrives to cast her vote in Ireland’s General Election (Brian Lawless/PA)

Polls opened at 7am on Friday for voters to decide who will form Ireland’s next government.

Some 174 seats across 43 constituencies in Ireland’s parliament, the Dail, are being contested.

The vote will close at 10pm with counting expected to start on Saturday morning.

A woman lifts up a young girl so she can put a vote in a ballot box — A young girl helps put a vote in the ballot box at St Anthony’s Boys’ School, Beechwood Park, Ballinlough, in Cork (Jacob King/PA)

A woman walks down a corridor with her pet pug under her arm — Sonia Higgins, with her pet pug named Chico, arrives to cast her vote at Deaf Village Ireland (DVI) on Navan Road, Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA)

A woman holds up an un-ticked ballot paper with her pet pug under her other arm — Ms Higgins holds up a ballot paper with Chico still under her other arm (Niall Carson/PA)

Michael D Higgins smiles as he drops his vote into a ballot box — Irish President Michael D Higgins casts his vote at St Mary’s Hospital, Phoenix Park, in Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA)

Michael D Higgins and his wife speaking to staff overseeing voting — Mr Higgins and his wife Sabina speak to staff overseeing voting at St Mary’s Hospital (Brian Lawless/PA)

Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris opted for his wife, Caoimhe, and two children, Saoirse and Cillian, to accompany him to the voting station.

Simon Harris's son and daughter help him and his wife drop their votes into a ballot box — Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris and his wife, Caoimhe, cast their votes at Delgany National School, County Wicklow, with their children (Niall Carson/PA)

Simon Harris walking towards a ballot box with his wife and two young children — Mr Harris’s children, Cillian and Saoirse, accompanied their parents at the polling station (Niall Carson/PA)

Simon Harris and his wife hold their two children outside a voting station — Saoirse is five years old while Cillian is aged three (Niall Carson/PA)

Mary Lou McDonald laughs with an elderly woman — Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald (left) is greeted by Sarah Byrne (right) as she arrives to cast her vote at Deaf Village Ireland on Navan Road (Brian Lawless/PA)

Mary Lou McDonald faces a wall of photographers and reporters as she dropped her vote into the ballot box — Ms McDonald faces a wall of photographers and reporters as she dropped her vote into the ballot box (Brian Lawless/PA)

Micheal Martin arrives with an umbrella to cast his vote with his wife, Mary O'Shea — Tanaiste and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin arrives with an umbrella to cast his vote, accompanied by his family (Jacob King/PA)

Mr Martin speaking to the media as he casts his vote at St Anthony’s Boys’ School, Beechwood Park, Ballinlough, Cork (Jacob King/PA)

A man drops his vote into a ballot box, watched closely by voting overseers and Father Christmas — A man drops his vote into a ballot box St Maries of the Isle National School in Cork, watched closely by voting overseers and Father Christmas (Jacob King/PA)

A woman in a white coat drops her vote into a ballot box — Voter turnout is expected to be a crucial factor in this General Election, with several opinion polls putting the three biggest parties within touching distance of one another (Brian Lawless/PA)

An empty ballot paper showing all the candidates — This year’s General Election has been described as ‘close-fought’ (Brian Lawless/PA)