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Bride-to-be Claire McDaid makes a quick stop at Waringstown Polling station to cast her vote before her wedding day a Magheralin in Co Down yesterday.
The daughter of SDLP councilor Pat McDaid made it to the church in time to marry Paul Brown despite the stop off for the Council and Assembly election poll.
If you still haven’t decided how to vote, our chart outlining where parties stand on big issues will help make up your mind
DUP
Education
Has its sights set on a cost-saving single education system, is determined to bring in legislation for special educational needs, and wants to provide one year funded pre-school provision for all children.
Health
Will not close any hospitals but more patients should be treated in the community, wants fixed penalty notices to reduce violence against NHS staff, and to improve support for cancer patients, including building radiotherapy centre at Altnagelvin.
Crime
Want tougher sentences and to ensure that prison sentences are imposed for anyone found guilty of attacking the elderly or the vulnerable. The party also believes that prisoners should not receive favourable treatment.
Business
Wants a cut in corporation tax to 10%, below the Republic’s 12.5%, in an effort to increase inward investment, and also construction sector to pay only 5% VAT.
Reform of Stormont
Would reduce number of MLAS to 80, cut ministries and quangos and move towards voluntary coalition by 2015. Wants inter party talks after election to jointly agree Executive priorities.
Environment
Commitments include 40% of energy from renewable sources by 2020, making government buildings carbon neutral, retrofit ting houses to reduce energy use, promoting car sharing and increasing woodland cover.
Culture and Arts
Sees Northern Ireland as an international centre for creative industries like film. Would abolish Parades Commission and support the Ulster Scots Agency. Help the Public Records Office promote genealogical tourism.
Water, Roads and Transport
No direct mention of water charges in manifesto but other election literature pledges no separate charge for water, invest in transport, and continue to minimise road casualties through road safety engineering, collision remedial schemes, traffic calming and other measures
Agriculture
Insists it will press for a fair share for NI in the post-2013 CAP budget, local farmers should not have to compete with imports produced at lower welfare and production standards- campaigning to ban Brazilian beef and explore opportunities to acquire protected geographical indicator status for indigenous products like Comber potatoes
Border
The next decade up until Northern Ireland’s centenary in 2021 must be used to lay the foundations for its next 100 years, with the broadest possible support base underpinning its durability.
ALLIANCE
Education
The party wants to achieve 20% of children in integrated schools and 40% in mixed schools by 2020, focused on investing in early years’ education and childcare and has vowed to retain legal statementing for special needs students.
Health
Stands by decision to support cuts to the health budget - wants efficiencies such as promoting prevention and early intervention, improving public health and reducing incorrect use of A&Es, complete implementation of Bamford Review recommendations and parity of access to arthritis drugs.
Crime
Believe investing in offender rehabilitation will reduce re-offending levels. The party also wants to ensure the PSNI is adequately resourced to combat the dissident threat and for a more visible policing presence.
Business
Called for an “economic revolution” with a focus on the development of skills and number of departments in the Executive should be cut from 12 to eight.
Reform of Stormont
Advocates a weighted majority, voluntary coalition and appointing all ministers, including two Joint First Minsiters, by cross community vote at Stormont. Cut ministries to 8 and MLAs to 80.
Environment
Plans to table a Climate Change Act and propose an Environmental Protection Agency. Detailed, funded policies on the Green New Deal, a carbon neutral public sector and sustainable public transport.
Culture and Arts
Long term planned funding to develop the Arts and improve its business model to ensure a return. A big push for cultural tourism to generate revenue. Will encourage community arts.
Water, Roads and Transport
Supports water charges with safeguards, would rebalance the transport budget to deliver an improved bus and rail service, ensure the mutualisation of NI Water to help create a self-financing business model.
Agriculture
Sees large potential for job creation in Agriculture and supports reform of the Common Agricultural Policy to ensure a long term sustainable agriculture sector and a fair deal for Northern Ireland.
Border
Unlike other parties, Alliance says it does not define itself around the issue of the border but focuses on reation of a shared future, respecting the principle of consent and good relations with all NI’s neighbours.
SINN FEIN
Education
Will continue to champion Irish Medium schools, has vowed to cut back on bureaucracy by scrapping the education and library boards in favour of a single Education Skills Authority and pledged to block any hike in tuition fees.
Health
Will work to deliver the radiotherapy centre at Altnagelvin and onsite financial advice for cancer patients, wants an all-Ireland suicide prevention strategy and set sights on access to a specialist nurse for all patients with long term conditions.
Crime
Is focusing on ensuring greater emphasis on all-Ireland co-operation between the policing and justice bodies and on human rights. The party also vows to tackle the problem of drugs within communities.
Business
Calling for an all-Ireland joint economic policy, also wants the four Northern Ireland banks to loan £400m for a development bond and says it would give the Housing Executive the power to borrow £250m.
Reform of Stormont
Sees talk of voluntary coalition as a ruse to exclude them from government. and says change can only come by consent. Will accept a reduction of MLAS to 90.
Environment
Backs green new deal and renewable energy. Proposes levies on plastic bags and mobile phone masts. Would encourage food growing on allotments and community farms as well as more forestation.
Culture and Arts
Wants an Irish Language Act and an all Ireland policy to promote Gaeltacht areas. More funds for existing cross border cultural bodies. More funding for community arts and minority sports.
Water, Roads and Transport
Will block the introduction of separate household water charges, argues water and sewerage services should be kept in full public ownership, and calls for additional investment for public transport in both bus and railway services.
Agriculture
Demands fundamental improvements to the payments and inspection regime for Single Farm Payments, along with a review of the Less Favoured Areas policy to help disadvantaged areas and calls for the introduction of a supermarket ombudsman “with real power”
Border
A new all-Ireland constitution could establish an all-Ireland Constitutional Forum drawn from both legislatures, civic society, business and trade unions to discuss and bring forward a Draft Constitution that would be put in a referendum.
UUP
Education
Firmly focused on targeting more resources towards early years (0-6) including providing a funded Government pre-school space for every child, in favour of academic selection and committed to finding a replacement for the axed 11-Plus.
Health
Committed to free prescriptions, will tackle waiting lists and improve infection control and hygiene in hospitals, and address the stigma attached to mental health issues with implementation of the Bamford Report in full.
Crime
Want tougher sentences for offenders “to prevent a return to crime and discourage potential offenders.” The party is also focused on tackling domestic violence, raising awareness of human trafficking in Northern Ireland and combating anti social behaviour
Business
Called for greater rewards for success within the private sector and less automatic funding for new businesses and growing the private sector and enhancing the power of the social economy are also priorities.
Reform of Stormont
All parties should agree a programme of government before picking ministries. Movement towards a voluntary coalition and formal opposition. Theh UUP would reduce number of quangos and cross border bodies.
Environment
Create a statutory duty on the Executive to promote renewable energy and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Support of Green New deal. Make NI a world leader in green technology.
Culture and Arts
Scrap the Parades Commission and Irish Language Act. In a recession the Arts is not a key spending priority but projects like Queens Festival and the film industry deserve support.
Water, Roads and Transport
Want a detailed breakdown of how existing expenditure on water services from the regional rates are spent but voices “extreme concern” that NI Water faces a £48m shortfall by 2012 and demands an urgent review of the A5 Western transport corridor.
Agriculture
Backs the creation of a NI food and drink taskforce, to devise an integrated strategy, a more robus animal disease strategy prioritising the eradication of bovine TB and Brucellosis and abolishing the Agricultural Wages Board.
Border
With the constitutional issue settled by the Good Friday Agreement, supports initiatives such as a joint review north and south of the workings of Tourism Ireland but makes no direct mention of the Border.
SDLP
Education
Its top priority is ensuring more investment for nursery and primary school children, says it will resolve the uncertainty around post-primary transfer and backs transfer at 14 as opposed to 11, and also fiercely opposed to tuition fee increases.
Health
Committed to increasing public health budget, banning smoking in cars with children, suggests a small charge for prescriptions to stop expensive waste and substantial fines for hospitals when patients wait too long for treatment or cancel appointments with little or no notice.
Crime
Supports non-custodial alternatives in low risk of reoffending cases and want improvements in the treatment of victims of crime. The party also want greater cross-border policing to confront the dissidents.
Business
Proposed a 25-year framework economic and financial agreement with the Treasury to gain tax-varying powers, the creation of Northern Ireland's own social security system and the long-term delivery of the block grant
Reform of Stormont
Cut MLAs to 96, at most, scrap the two junior Ministers, create a single Department of the Economy and cut at least two ministries. Time not right to end mandatory coalition yet.
Environment
Strongly support the Green New Deal, especially a crash programme of home insulation, and also propose a Climate Change Act and a new all Ireland Environment Protection Agency.
Culture and Arts
Strongly support an Irish Language Act and sees arts spending as an economic driver through capital projects like a National Art Gallery. Seeks devolution of broadcasting powers.
Water, Roads and Transport
Opposed to water charges and privitisation, says both jurisdictions should invest to retrofit three Iarnród Éireann diesel trains, allowing for hourly Enterprise services between Belfast and Dublin and seeks legislation to reduce speed limits in urban residential streets from 30 mph to 20 mph
Agriculture
Warns farmers face huge challenges post-2013 with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) review and says it will ensure the money spent on the CAP reaches farmers rather than absorbed by administrative costs and bureaucracy - and is backing regionalisation to give the fishing industry more control over its future.
Border
In an agreed, united Ireland the Assembly would continue, as a regional parliament and the Executive would be retained, involving all political parties and a Bill of Rights, underpinning the right of people to identify themselves British or Irish, or both.
