More than a quarter of eligible voters in early voting held on Thursday did not cast a ballot, the electoral commission said. 

In a statement on Friday morning, the commission said that voter turnout for Thursday’s early voting stood at 72.5%. 

Thursday's voting was reserved for people who were in hospital as of Monday, March 21.   

Some 1252 people were registered to vote that day, with the commission saying 908 ballots had been cast. 

Earlier this month the commission announced that the March 19 early voting session had seen a turnout of 85% from a total of 9,658 registered voters.

That early voting session had been for voters who will be abroad or in hospital on 26 March, which is voting day.

The deadline to collect voting documents needed to participate in Saturday's general election closed at midnight on Thursday. 

Both Labour leader Robert Abela and his Nationalist counterpart Bernard Grech have been urging voters to collect their documents. 

Political analysts predict that abstentions mostly harm the incumbent party, as being government is more likely to result in failing to satisfy voters than being in opposition. 

That said incumbency, being the elected party in government, gives parties the chance to address any grievances before final polling day.

Sources in the election strategy teams of the two main political parties say this election could see the lowest turnout in recent electoral history. 

Malta’s election turnout, among the highest in Europe, has been on a steady decline. 

Of the 341,856 people registered to vote in 2017, 92.07% cast their vote  - the lowest figure since 1966 but less than one percentage point down from 2013's figure of 92.98%.

Party sources fear that this year the figure could dip to as low as 87 or 88 per cent.