Early voting will be made simpler for this year's European Parliament elections, with a new legal amendment doing away with the requirement for a sworn statement explaining why a person will be indisposed.

This will be replaced with a simple written declaration submitted through an online form, MPs agreed on Monday.

Previously, anybody who would be unavailable to vote on polling day, either because they were due to be abroad or indisposed for medical reasons, would need to sign a sworn statement to vote a week early.

The amendment to the General Elections Act will replace one of its clauses to remove references to the need for a “sworn” statement or a declaration on oath.

Social Policy Minister Michael Falzon explained that with this year’s EP elections coinciding with the day after a national holiday, there is a risk of more people than usual being away. MPs hope that the move to simplify the system and facilitate early voting might slow Malta’s dwindling voting rates.

The move gained unanimous approval from both sides of the house, with PN MEP Karol Aquilina saying that both the government and the opposition need to find ways to encourage more people to participate in Malta’s electoral process.