Polling stations have now closed in the North?s Assembly elections.
Voting was earlier described as slow but steady across the region?s 18 six-seat constituencies for the fourth Stormont Assembly since the Belfast Agreement in 1998.
Elections were also being held to fill the 582 seats on 26 local councils - the first since 2005.
Voters were also deciding the referendum on the voting system for Westminster elections - the first since 1975.
The first wet weather in more than two weeks hampered voter turn-out early today, but a drier evening helped to facilitate the usual evening rush.
Polls were due to close at 10pm and a turn out of around 60 per cent was anticipated.
The PSNI confirmed tonight it had stepped up patrols to ensure there was no disruption from dissident republican groups opposed to the new political establishment at Stormont.
?The Police Service, in conjunction with the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland, are putting thorough and robust plans in place for the forthcoming Assembly and local government elections - AV referendum on May 5th,? the PSNI said.
Deputy chief constable Judith Gillespie said that despite the increased security the PSNI presence would be low-key.
?I want to reassure you that this is a carefully planned and very significant police operation but one which we regard as absolutely critical to ensuring that everyone who chooses to do so can be facilitated to safely cast their vote,? she said.
More than 1.2 million electors were offered the three separate ballot papers. A white paper contained candidates for the Stormont Assembly and a buff-coloured paper was issued in respect of the council elections.
A smaller ballot paper simply asked electors if they supported the replacement of the traditional first-past-the-vote mechanism with the alternative vote (AV) system.
Polling officials took time to explain to voters the intricacies of the various ballot papers being offered. Both the local council elections and the Assembly poll is being conducted using the STV version of proportional representation and ballot papers were to be marked numerically.
Referendum papers were simply to be marked with an `X?.
Counting begins tomorrow in the Stormont Assembly election with the first results expected by early evening.
The referendum results will also be collated tomorrow afternoon and a result is due this Saturday evening.
Counting in the local government poll does not commence until Monday morning. There are eight count centres- one in Belfast and others in Lisburn, Newtownabbey and Ballymena in Co Antrim, Banbridge and Newtownards in Co Down, Derry city and Omagh in Co Tyrone.
The main party leaders voted early. Peter Robinson, the outgoing First Minister and DUP leader voted in East Belfast while the Ulster Unionist leader Tom Elliott voted in Balinamallard, Co Fermanagh before engaging in a tour of the county?s polling stations.
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams is not a candidate following his winning a seat in the Dail last February. Outgoing Deputy First Minister voted in his native Derry accompanied by Sinn Fein candidates.
SDLP leader Margaret Ritchie voted in Crossgar in South Down while Alliance leader David Ford went to his local polling station in South Antrim.
There was concern, especially among unionist parties, that voters would stay at home in increasing numbers following a lacklustre campaign. However it was also noted that the Assembly term just ended was the first to have been completed without suspension.
Political debate has centred more on policy issues rather than the constitutional question, a development privately welcomed by senior party figures.