The DUP and Alliance Party are neck-and-neck just a few days before Thursday’s election, according to a latest opinion poll.
ccording to the Institute of Irish Studies-University of Liverpool and the Irish News, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson’s party are currently sitting on 18.2%, the same as Naomi Long’s Alliance Party.
The latest result means the DUP has dropped two percentage points from a similar poll conducted by the newspaper last month while Alliance has seen a growth in support.
According to the survey – which has a margin of error of 3.1 either way – Sinn Fein remain on course to become the largest party, taking 26.2% of first preference votes.
The Ulster Unionist Party meanwhile sit on 12.1% and the SDLP on 10.5% – based on the results of 1,270 people surveyed between April 16-26.
According to the poll, Jim Allister’s TUV party sits at 5.7%, with the Green Party on 2.9% and People Before Profit expected to receive 2.1% of first preference votes.
The survey is the latest in a series of polls which put Sinn Fein and Michelle O’Neill on course to take the First Minister post at Stormont.
A poll carried out by Survation for Good Morning Britain on Friday put the party on 22.2% ahead of the DUP who were on 20.2%.
In that poll the Alliance Party were predicted to come third with 14.1% of the vote.
The poll by Survation – which has a margin of error of 4.32% – means even though Sinn Fein look set to take the First Minister position at Stormont, there is still a chance the DUP could emerge as the largest overall party.
Meanwhile, a LucidTalk poll for the Belfast Telegraph last week showed support for Sinn Fein remains at 26%, with the DUP up one percentage point to 20%.
Last week, both the DUP and TUV shrugged off the predictions made by pollsters, with Sir Jeffrey Donaldson claiming his party will come out on top.
“I think the polls are not reflective of what I find on the doors in Northern Ireland,” he said.
“As we’re going around, there is strong support for the DUP. Most unionists recognise that the DUP is the only unionist party that can win. They don’t want to see Sinn Fein winning and taking forward their divisive border poll agenda.”
