Voting closes in Iceland’s knife-edge EU referendum

Voting has concluded in Iceland's referendum on resuming membership negotiations with the European Union. Polling stations closed their doors on Saturday, but it may take several hours for a definitive outcome to either the "yes" or "no" camp to emerge. The referendum lacks exit polls, and ballot counting did not commence until after the voting stations had closed.

Polls indicate that the vote is razor-thin, with various surveys showing either side having a slight lead, generally within a narrow range of 50/50. The vote is set 13 years after Iceland, under a Eurosceptic government at the time, halted EU accession talks. The nation is presently led by the pro-EU Social Democratic Alliance, which initiated the vote and vowed to respect the decision made by the Icelandic public.

A "yes" vote would likely prompt Iceland to initiate years of negotiations with Brussels to determine membership terms, followed by a second referendum to explicitly decide whether to join the EU formally. Security, the sluggish Icelandic economy, and the fate of the Icelandic currency, the krona, have been paramount issues in the build-up to the vote (Aljazeera).