Remote islanders first to pick next government

? Residents of Ireland’s stormy Atlantic coast began casting their ballots Monday for the country’s next government, three days before the rest of the nation votes in a race shaping up to be the closest in a quarter-century.

Ferries and helicopters carried voting booths, ballot boxes and election officials to five islands off County Donegal in northwest Ireland.

The islands’ 727 registered voters were asked to cast ballots before Thursday’s national election because of the risk a sudden storm could shut down transportation links and prevent the results from being delivered in time back to the mainland.