I'm an Irish expat who flew home to vote to legalize abortion. It's a thrilling moment.

[NCTraveler]

I left Bucharest, Romania, where I currently live, at 4 am on May 19. By the time I landed in my hometown in County Kerry, on the southwest coast of Ireland, I was bleary-eyed and full of adrenaline. Years of campaigning from generations of Irish women fighting for safe, legal access to abortion was finally being put to a vote — it was exhilarating.

I’m a 24-year-old writer. When my partner and I learned the date for the abortion vote was confirmed, we set aside money and booked flights home. Ireland does not have a postal voting system, so Irish citizens living abroad must return to the country to vote. Irish citizens from all over the world have been flying home to make their voices heard this Friday, the day of the referendum vote.

Many of them are posting their journeys on social media with the hashtag #HomeToVote. Scrolling through the hundreds of posts alongside my own plane selfie on Twitter was incredibly heartening — it made me realize that Irish people all over the world wanted the same change as I did. Repeal felt possible.

https://www.vox.com/first-person/2018/5/25/17392688/abortion-referendum-ireland

[Downtown Hound]

1. Good luck!

We're rooting for you!

[onit2day]

2. The issue is 'free choice, a woman's right to choose. Abortion is just one choice.

[ehrnst]

3. Thank you for your advocacy for the people of Ireland.

For we know it's not just women who suffer when they die or are made sterile from illegal procedures.

Their friends and families do as well.

[SunSeeker]

4. K & R

[LisaM]

5. I saw women welcoming home planeloads of people who came home to vote, and it moved me to tears.

But it also made it hit home, heavily, how there was so much euphoria in the days preceding the 2016 election in the United States, and how much heavy despair there was afterwards.

It made me feel a little bit sick. I so, so, so hope the yes vote passes, and that our Irish sisters don't have to feel what we did on November 9, 2016. I'll never, ever forget how I felt, nor the looks on the faces of the women waiting in the Javits Center that night.

[BadgerMom]

6. Inspiring to see voting valued so highly.

Ireland is setting an example. We’re with you.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. Good for you, and hopefully, good for Ireland!

I'm hoping that the news will be positive.

Hopefully the results will be known quickly.

[TimeSnowDemos]

9. They will...

It's all counted by hand here, in public view. No computers involved.

[TimeSnowDemos]

8. Just voted

As always in Ireland it took a grand total of about 2 minutes to walk in, get a ballot, vote, and walk out.

I've never waited more than... 3 minutes maybe... to vote.

Polls are open to 10 (it's 6:30 here now) and so there's still a ways to go, but... all the media is saying "high turnout" and "high turnout of young people" so I'm relatively optimistic.

[smirkymonkey]

11. So good to hear! I wish you all the best of luck!

Let us hope that reason and support for women's rights prevails!

[H2O Man]

10. Recommended.

I have been talking with my cousins who live on the Old Sod. They are all voting correctly.

[Granny M]

12. Thanks for coming home.

My husband and I voted this morning, our first votes since becoming Irish citizens in 2016. We were the first ones to vote in our polling place. Together For Yes!

[LittleGirl]

13. So happy for you!

My spouse is a british citizen but has lived outside of the UK for over the 15 yrs time frame for voting. After the brexit vote, he was really sad. He still is actually. He feels betrayed. Good luck today! I can't wait to hear some good news!

[barbtries]

14. i'm gonna go check out that hashtag for sure.

thank you for going the extra mile to help this cause.

[OldEurope]

15. Good luck to those young Irish! /nt

[mountain grammy]

16. K & R

[OnDoutside]

17. As I was driving in the gates of the voting centre, I was listening to Rachel's

Podcast, just as she mentioned today's referendum...it's a sign !

[Wounded Bear]

18. I wish you and your compatriots success...

[anneboleyn]

19. Does anyone have a guess as to when we might hear projections in the U.S.? I think polls are open

in Ireland until 10pm — so will we have to wait until 5pm or 6pm EST or so to hear any projections? Will that even be done (not sure of the Irish way of approaching these votes)?

[Drunken Irishman]

20. It's not handled like US elections where counting starts as polls close.

Polls will close 4:00 ET, and initial exit polls will be released some time tonight. However, counting won't begin until Saturday.

So, we'll only have exit polling data to go off of until tomorrow.

[anneboleyn]

21. Ah, I see -- thank you sir. Pint of Guinness! Erin go Bragh! (Apologies for anglicizing it)

It’s a very big deal I know...

[Maeve]

29. A link to follow the results

https://www.rte.ie/news/2018/0526/966122-eighth-amendment-referendum/

Currently 67.8% Yes

[TomSlick]

22. A great day for Aer Lingus

If the Catholic Church cannot control Irish politics AND the UK is exiting Europe, seems a good time to reconsider re-unification of Ireland.

[Hekate]

23. Best of luck to the women of Ireland

[OnDoutside]

24. Some great tweets

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[tblue37]

25. Unless you actually are Emma Flynn (the person who wrote the content in your post),

you probably should use the "excerpt" button to show that you didn't write it.

The link at the bottom of your post won't be noticed by everyone, and as you can see, many people do assume that the content was written by you.

Of course if you are Emma Flynn, never mind.

[OregonBlue]

26. Now that's commitment. We are very proud of you!! You get not one, not two,

not three but 10 winking pumpkins for today

[Takket]

27. Congrats to you and all the women of Ireland!

[TexasBushwhacker]

28. And yet, Iowa just passed a fetal heartbeat bill

making abortions illegal once a fetal heartbeat can be detected (about 6 weeks). Here's hoping their governor doesn't sign it.