Early indication of result depends on margin

Nearly 292,000 voters are eligible to go to the polls today to elect a government which will determine not only the new administration, but also establish the island's relations with the European Union.

First indications of the result may be available by about noon tomorrow, political party sources say. This, however, depends on the time the ballot boxes are opened and on how close the result will be - the closer it is, the longer it will be for any definite indication to emerge.

The official result of first count votes is not expected to be known before late afternoon.

According to the electoral commission, a total of 2,261 documents of the 294,106 eligible votes remained uncollected.

In the 1998 election, out of a total of 278,311 registered voters, 1,849 voting documents were uncollected. In 1996, a total of 1,455 documents remained unclaimed out of a total of 271,848.

During the March 8 membership referendum, a total of 4,235 votes were uncollected.

Eligible voters had until midnight on Thursday to collect their voting document directly from the electoral commission.

A total of 178 candidates will be contesting today's election: 84 for the PN, 77 for the MLP, 15 for Alternattiva Demokratika, one independent and one for Ghal Gid ta' Ghawdex.

The electoral campaign was wrapped up on midnight on Thursday with yesterday left to the electorate to "reflect".

The two major parties campaigned till the very last second as they aired political programmes on their media following the two mass meetings held at Luxol and the Granaries.

Polling booths for the general election will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. All ballot boxes will then be taken to the Ta' Qali counting hall.

Over 3,500 assistant electoral commissioners and reserve staff cast their vote yesterday at a polling station booth purposely set up at Ta' Qali.