Icelanders begins voting on whether to restart EU accession talks in tight referendum

Icelanders started voting on Saturday on whether to restart negotiations to join the European Union (EU), more than a decade after the Nordic island nation put its accession process on hold, with opinion polls showing the race too close to call, reported Xinhua.

The referendum does not decide whether Iceland will join the 27-member bloc. A "Yes" vote would reopen accession negotiations, while any eventual membership agreement would have to be put to voters in a separate referendum.

Polling stations opened at 9 a.m. local time and are due to close at 10 p.m. Nearly a quarter of voters had already cast ballots in advance, according to Icelandic public broadcaster RUV.

A Gallup poll released on Thursday put the "No" camp narrowly ahead, with 51.6 percent opposed to restarting negotiations and 48.4 percent in favor. The difference was not statistically significant.

Votes will be counted after polling stations close, with the first results expected later on Saturday.