Iceland holds referendum on resuming European Union membership talks

Iceland voted on Saturday on whether to restart talks to join the European Union. The country first applied for membership in 2009 after a financial crisis hurt its economy. Negotiations began but stopped in 2013 when a eurosceptic government came to power.

The current centre-left government, led by Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, decided to hold the referendum earlier than planned because of international developments. Opinion polls showed a very close race. One poll put the No side at 51.6 percent, while earlier polls had shown Yes ahead.

Voters could cast ballots from 09:00 to 22:00 GMT, and more than one in five people had already voted early. The main concerns in the debate were fishing rights and national sovereignty. Results were expected in the early hours of Sunday.