Over 9,000 votes uncollected

A third of the country goes to the polls today to elect 123 local councillors - 16 in Malta and five in Gozo - in 21 localities for the next three years.

By midnight yesterday, 9,039 eligible voters had failed to collect their voting document, bringing the number of people who can vote down to 67,717, including 1,268 non-Maltese EU nationals.

Between 1993 and 2003, British citizens resident in Malta were entitled to stand as candidates and vote.

Since Malta's EU membership, these rights have been extended to all EU nationals resident in Malta who are registered and possess a Maltese identity card.

Although there are 3,407 foreigners eligible to vote, 2,139 did not collect their voting document. Most of these foreigners reside in St Paul's Bay, Mellieha and St Julians.

The largest percentage of people who did not collect their voting document, 34.2 per cent, is in St Paul's Bay; the lowest, 1.5 per cent, in Kirkop.

The largest localities where an election is being held are Zebbug and St Paul's Bay. Nine candidates have to be elected from each.

Seven councillors each have to be elected from Valletta, Mellieha, St Julians, Sta Venera and Zurrieq, and five councillors each from Senglea, Balzan, Dingli, Fontana, Ghajnsielem, Ghasri, Iklin, Kirkop, Mqabba, Nadur, Pembroke, Qrendi, Ta' Xbiex and Xewkija.

Elections had also been due at Zejtun and Marsa but are not being held because the number of candidates contesting matches the number of councillors to be elected.

The 21 localities are being contested by 224 candidates representing the Nationalist Party, the Labour Party, Alternattiva Demokratika, Alpha, Kuxjenza Nadifa (Clean Conscience) and independents.

Voting will take place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. in 116 polling stations in Malta and 17 in Gozo. While in Zebbug there are 14 polling places, in Ghasri there is only one.

For the first time this year, shops and bars within the 50-metre range of polling stations do not have to close unless they are political clubs. The Electoral Commissioner or the Police Commissioner, however, have the power to ask any shop to close if they see a need to do so. This change follows amendments to the Local Councils' Act some weeks ago.

Another amendment which is expected to be implemented as from these elections affects the election of mayor. While the mayor was previously elected by councillors, the post will now be filled by the candidate winning the biggest number of number one votes from the party obtaining the majority.

Vote counting will take place at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, in Valletta and at the Victoria Sports Complex.

While counting for the small councils is expected to be over by the early hours of Sunday, in the case of the bigger localities it is expected to take somewhat longer.

A total of 430 "counters" have been commissioned. Counting for each locality will start once all the boxes of that particular locality arrive at Victoria or the MCC. The last time counting for a local election took place at the MCC was in 1996. Structural works taking place at the Ta' Qali counting hall - the usual venue - has prevented the votes being counted there.