Latest update:
1235am Sources confirm Alex Borg marginally ahead by about 130 votes after all votes sorted.
1230am 15,000 votes counted, AB ahead by 250 votes or 1.8%
1200am With around 60% of the vote counted Alex Borg has a 3% lead according to sources.
2311: Latest sample with about 6000 votes is 5.5% lead for Alex Borg.
2300: With around 4500 votes counted Alex Borg leads by about 4% according to sources.
2210: The actual counting of the votes is expected to start in around 20 minutes or at 2230.
2145: Early indications from exit polling are showing that Alex Borg will garner around 54% of the vote.
2030: Sorting of votes has started.
1915 CET: Final turnout figure is 86%. This is 1% higher than the last leadership election in 2020. Total votes are estimated at 17,862, representing 86.5% of the 20,795 eligible voters.
1950CET: Boxes have started arriving from the respective PN clubs and sorting is expected to start shortly.
This is a live blog of the PN leadership election between Alex Borg and Adrian Delia. Voting closed at 7pm.
Background:
After three months of campaigning, the Nationalist Party (PN) will elect its new leader today, choosing between Alex Borg and Adrian Delia.
The polls are open for the party’s 20,795 eligible members to cast their votes in Malta from 9 am to 7 pm, and in Gozo from 9 am to 5 pm.
The counting of ballots at Dar ฤentrali will begin at approximately 9 pm, where supporters from both camps are expected to gather. While an official indication may emerge earlier, the final result is anticipated late tonight, its timing dependent on the closeness of the race.
This election presents a pivotal moment for the party’s history. A win for Alex Borg would make him the PN’s youngest-ever leader. A victory for Adrian Delia would mark an unprecedented return, making him the first former leader to reclaim the post.
The 2017 and 2020 leadership contests provide contrasting precedents. In 2017, Delia was announced the winner at 9 pm, narrowly defeating Chris Said with 52.7% of the vote. Conversely, in 2020, Bernard Grech was declared the winner around 8 pm, defeating the incumbent Delia by a significant margin of 69.3%.
Although the candidates will not be present during the count, the winner is expected to appear and deliver a victory speech once the result is official. The defeated candidate may also attend in a gesture of party unity.
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