Today Ireland became the first country in the world to introduce full civil marriage equality for all its people, regardless of their sexual orientation, by way of a universal ballot.

In the historic ballot the Irish electorate voted by 62.1% to 37.9% to endorse an amendment to the Irish Constitution asserting that “‘Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex.” Ireland now becomes the 19th country in the world to approve the freedom to marry for same-sex couples, and the first to do so by a popular ballot.