Hungarians voted today in a referendum on EU membership that is expected to easily win approval and bring the nation a step closer to rejoining the European fold.
Polls opened at 6 a.m. (4 a.m. Irish time) under overcast skies, and turnout in the first hours of voting from the 10,743 polling stations was reported as moderate.
The country's eight million eligible voters have until 9 p.m. to cast their ballots in the referendum, and preliminary results from the binding vote are expected soon after the polls close.
Opinion polls show support for EU membership well above 70 per cent and turnout is expected to be over 60 per cent.
Hungary is the third candidate to hold a referendum among the 10 states invited to join the European Union in May 2004 - Slovenia and Malta have already approved membership - but the first major post-Communist country to cast ballots on accession.
All four parties in parliament support EU accession and have been part of a massive pro-EU campaign since February.
Millions of dollars have been spent in advertising campaigns urging Hungarians to take the final step toward the foreign policy goal they have been working for since overthrowing Communism in 1989.