Turnout for today's local council elections reached just 59.2%, the lowest for council elections since they started being held 18 years ago. Turnout in the last elections in the same localities was 74% but comparisons cannot really be made since some of those elections were held in 2008, along with the general election.
The turnout was down in almost all localities, and it was down sharply in St Julian's, St Paul's Bay, Balzan and Sliema. At St Paul's Bay, only 35% voted, according to preliminary estimates.
The voting today was held for the election of local councils in half of Malta's towns and villages. Polling stations closed at 7 p.m. and the ballot boxes then started being deposited at Naxxar counting hall and the Gozo sports centre.
The first ballot boxes to arrive at Naxxar counting hall were from St Vincent de Paule Home.
Counting will start as soon as the boxes arrive at the counting centres, and will continue throughout the night. The process is expected to be complete late tomorrow afternoon, when the counting of votes for the biggest localities - Sliema, St Paul's Bay and Mosta, is expected to be completed.
Turnout for the local council elections up to 1 p.m. was 28%, the Electoral Commission said. It gave the following breakdownup to 1 p.m :
|
Il-Birgu |
38% |
Il-Marsa |
37% |
|
L-Isla |
38% |
Marsaxlokk |
30% |
|
Ħal Qormi |
32% |
Il-Mosta |
29% |
|
Ħaż-Żebbuġ |
30% |
Il-Munxar |
24% |
|
Is-Siġġiewi |
33% |
In-Nadur |
25% |
|
Ħ’Attard |
24% |
Paola |
38% |
|
Ħal Balzan |
27% |
Il-Qala |
23% |
|
Birżebbuġa |
29% |
Ħal Safi |
42% |
|
Ħad-Dingli |
34% |
San Ġiljan |
19% |
|
Floriana |
45% |
San Lawrenz |
32% |
|
Il-Gżira |
25% |
San Pawl il-Baħar |
17% |
|
Għajnsielem |
23% |
Santa Luċija |
39% |
|
Ħal Għargħur |
26% |
Tas-Sliema |
23% |
|
Il-Ħamrun |
38% |
Is-Swieqi |
18% |
|
L-Iklin |
30% |
Ix-Xagħra |
21% |
|
Ta’ Kerċem |
30% |
Iż-Żebbuġ |
16% |
|
Ħal Kirkop |
35% |
Iż-Żurrieq |
34% |
|
Ħal Luqa |
34% |
|
|
The turnout up to 1 p.m. was more or less similar to the last elections in those localities where voting last took place in 2007, but significantly less in those localities where the last election was held in 2008, with the general election.
The elections today were held in 27 localities in Malta and eight in Gozo. The councils will serve for a four-year term after a reform last year which extended the term of the councils by a year, so that elections will now be held for half of localities every two years.
However the election due to have been next year in Sliema was also held today, because the council was dissolved early by the government.
The total number of eligible voters today 192,257. However 33,375 voting documents remained uncollected, of which half belonged to foreign EU nationals.