Ireland goes to the polls today in a vote that looks closer than previously expected after prime minister Simon Harris lost the momentum that motivated him to call the the snap general election just three weeks ago.

The two ruling center-right parties and the opposition Sinn Fein took equal shares of the vote, according to an exit poll. Ireland's Prime Minister Simon Harris had called for snap polls earlier this month.

His more experienced coalition partner, Micheál Martin, appears best positioned to lead the next government — and insists he won’t turn left to Sinn Féin or right to anti-immigrant