Will conservative Ireland legalize same-sex marriage on Friday?

On Friday, Ireland will vote whether or not to legalize same-sex marriage. If Ireland votes “yes,” it would be the 20th country to legalize gay marriage completely, and the first to do so by a national popular vote.

Ireland is a historically socially conservative nation. Homosexuality was decriminalized there in 1993. Divorce was made legal in 1995, and abortion remains illegal, except in cases when a pregnancy would endanger the mother’s life. But current polls indicate that the “Yes” votes for same-sex marriage account for the majority. That includes every political party in the nation.

Polls aside, the gay marriage debate remains a heated one in Ireland. The “No” side argues that its legalization would threaten religious freedom.

The “Yes” side argues that it is a push for equality.

At the heart of Friday’s vote is the question of whether to add the following 17-word referendum — just 12 words in Gaelic — to the Irish Constitution:

“Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex.”

According to Ireland’s Department of the Environment, nearly 66,000 people registered to vote last Friday, bringing the total number of potential voters to 3,212,688.