The Irish in Australia are the second largest voting bloc on Ballotbox.ie

As Ireland’s electorate prepares to cast its vote, polls are closing in the country’s first ‘symbolic’ general election.

Ballotbox.ie, which allows Irish people living overseas cast a symbolic online vote in the 2011 general election, is set to publish its results this Saturday at 6am EST. Voting on the site will close tomorrow at 5am EST.

It is the first time such a poll has been attempted. In the two weeks since it launched over 145,000 people have visited the site and its Facebook page.

Visitors have come from 134 countries, such as Timor-Leste, Vanuatu, Egypt and Japan.

Irish people in Australia accounted for the second highest number of votes on the site, say the site organisers.

The top five in terms of voting numbers are the UK, the US, Australia, Canada and Germany.

At present 4,700 people have registered to vote at Ballotbox.ie, with just under 4,000 votes already cast.

BallotBox.ie was set up initially in Toronto, Canada by two recent emigrants and is also run by a volunteer staff in Dublin.

Irish citizens cannot vote in elections once they leave Ireland. This is in stark contrast to many other democracies, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and most other EU countries.

Ballotbox.ie says that an estimated 3.1 million Irish passport holders live abroad, with 800,000 of these Irish-born.

Ireland’s Central Statistics Office recorded 28,000 citizens leaving Ireland in the year ending April 2010. At least 60,000 have left in the last three years.

Ballotbox.ie has also used social media to spark debate about voting rights for Irish citizens abroad.  In terms of Facebook “likes” so far, 58 per cent the 25-34 age bracket — just over 52 per cent were male.

On the opening of polls at Ballotbox.ie David McWilliams, economist and broadcaster, said: “It is vital that Ireland retains a connection with the Irish diaspora. Irish emigrants have a huge amount to offer in terms of getting our country up off its knees, and everything should be done to encourage their participation in our democracy. Ballotbox.ie is doing just that, and I urge any Irish citizens living outside the country to get along there and vote.”