Roughly one in every six votes to select a new Nationalist Party leader were cast in the first evening when voting was permitted.
In a statement on Saturday, the PN’s electoral commission said that 16 per cent of eligible party members cast their vote on Friday, the first day of early voting in the leadership race.
The party has 21,499 paid-up members who can vote in the race between incumbent Adrian Delia and Bernard Grech.
The 16% figure means more than 3,400 votes were cast.
Ballot booths opened on Friday evening and will also open on Saturday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Votes will be counted on Saturday night. A winner is likely to be declared late that night.
Party members who intend to vote should take a voting letter sent to them by the party with them, along with their ID card or driving licence.
Members must wear a face mask when entering a voting station and will be submitted to a temperature check, the party has said.