Corruption has bounced to the top of voters’ priorities in recent weeks, as they watch the Vitals inquiry courtroom drama unfold, a new Times of Malta poll shows.

But whether the Vitals case will change the direction voters cast their ballot is more of a mixed bag.

Almost a quarter of all voters, 24%, now say that corruption is the issue that will drive them to vote. This stood at just 8% when a similar poll was held in April.

But the poll also shows that voters of different parties have wildly different views on the topic, suggesting that while the issue of corruption resonates with some voters, it has a drastically different effect on others.

As expected, the majority (52%) of people who plan to vote for PN in next week’s election say that corruption is their top priority.

This is also true, albeit to a lesser extent, for those who support ADPD (38%), independent candidates (30%), and Imperium Europa (18%), as well as voters who are still uncertain who to support (23%) or who did not vote last general election (21%).

But the issue barely registers with Labour voters, with just over 3% saying that the issue of corruption will determine their vote. Other issues, particularly cost of living (15%) and the economy (13%), are far more likely to send them to the polls, they say.

Despite this, the poll shows that the dial has barely moved on the overall vote since a previous poll held in April, with Labour holding on to a 10 percentage point lead.

The poll was carried out by market experts Esprimi, who surveyed 650 respondents between 22nd and 30th May, just as the Vitals case reached its climax with the arraignment of several top government figures.

Most say Vitals case won’t impact their vote

Almost half of all voters, 48%, say that news emerging from the Vitals case, including the arraignment of several key former and present government officials, hasn’t impacted how they will vote.

Some 40%, on the other hand, say that the case will affect their vote. Meanwhile, over one in ten voters (12%) say they are oblivious to the case altogether and aren’t following developments.

Almost two-thirds of people who plan to vote for Labour next week say that recent developments haven’t shifted the dial at all for them, although a little over one in five say it has.

This suggests that while they were previously planning to abstain or vote for another party, recent developments have drawn them into the fold.

PN voters, on the other hand, are almost evenly split amongst those who say that the Vitals case has impacted their decision (50%) and those who say it hasn’t (46%).

Voters who will support independent candidates feel more strongly about the issue, with almost two-thirds of them saying that the case will shape their vote.

The poll clearly indicates that PN voters are far more keen than any other to follow the case in the first place, with only 4% of them saying that they don’t know what the case involves. This is three times lower than the 13% of PL voters and 12% of all voters.

Women, younger voters less interested in the case

The poll also suggests that the issue has had little resonance among some demographics. Almost one in every five women and voters under the age of 35 say that they’re not aware of developments in the case.

While almost half (47%) of the voters under 25 who are following the case say that the developments will shape their vote, the opposite is true of women – only a third say that the Vitals issue has had any impact, while half say it won’t.

Working age people between the ages of 35 and 65 appear to be the group with the keenest eye on the case, with only a handful saying that they’re unaware of what’s going on.

Roughly 55% of people in this group claim that recent developments won’t be having any effect on how they vote, comfortably more than the 39% who say that it will.