The Co Limerick-born deputy president of the Irish Farmers' Association, Mr John Dillon, is expected to make history tonight by becoming the first deputy to move directly to the leadership of the organisation.
The IFA has mounted a large operation, involving 60 counters, and is expecting 500 people to attend the count in the Citywest Hotel, Dublin, from 8 a.m. today.
Mr Dillon is thought to have gained enough votes in the gruelling election over the past three weeks to take over from the incumbent, Mr Tom Parlon. However, none of his rivals was prepared to admit that Mr Dillon, who shocked the IFA four years ago by his decisive victory in the deputy presidential race, had won.
It is being conceded that Mr Dillon, known for his militancy, has conducted a far more thorough campaign than his rivals. He is expected to win well over 300 of the 939 IFA branches on the first count, which would leave him in a strong position to claim the top job.
Mr Dillon requires 470 branch votes to win the day from Mr Padraig Walshe, Mr John Boylan or Mr Raymond O'Malley, who have also been seeking the position, which is held for four years and carries no salary.
However, this is a presidential election without precedent in the history of the IFA because there are more than two candidates and the decision will be made by proportional representation. This means the decision will ultimately depend on transfers, which makes the outcome less certain. None of the candidates is expected to be elected on the first count.
Mr Dillon, the only Munsterman in the race, is thought to have polled well in his native province, which has 356 branch votes. He is also thought to have done well in Connacht, where there are 201 branches.
The candidate who amasses most first-preference votes on the first count naturally stands the best chance of winning. However, during the last fortnight of electioneering, the candidates were actively seeking transfers rather than first-preference votes to secure their win.
The outcome is expected by around 8 p.m. tonight.