Hacking the election: Irish vote counters forced to open ballot box with handsaw (VIDEO)

Bizarre scenes were witnessed at an Irish election center Saturday when vote counters were forced to unceremoniously take a hacksaw to a ballot box after its keys were misplaced.

Ireland’s single transferable vote system of proportional representation may be difficult for outsiders to comprehend, but using handtools to prise open the steel ballot boxes is certainly not the norm.

Footage of the comical incident was posted on Twitter, showing two men frantically cutting into the metal case with a saw.

The incident is by no means the strangest thing to have happened during the Irish poll, with a politician delivering a calf before the count and parking announcements cropping up in some vote-counting centers.

Some people have been getting carried away when posting their ballot, and contributed more than their vote to the election process:

Exit polls and early tallies are suggesting some upset for the government coalition parties, Fine Gael and Labour, and no political party emerging as the clear victor. 

READ MORE: Irish exit polls point to hung parliament as austerity anger hits govt parties