The Electoral Commission has confirmed that 18,622 new voters are registered for the upcoming General election, while 22,333 voting documents remain uncollected ahead of polling day.
Chief Electoral Commissioner Joseph Camilleri provided the details during a press briefing at the Naxxar Counting Hall on Monday as preparations continue for the national vote.
Camilleri said Malta currently has 356,832 eligible voters, representing an increase of 1,767 over the 2022 election. Of these, 334,481 voters have already collected their voting documents.
Counting process to begin Sunday Morning
The vote counting process will officially begin at 9am on Sunday, with party agents expected to be in position by 8:45am.
Scanning and verification of ballot papers will commence immediately, and unofficial projections are expected between one and two hours later as political parties begin analyzing sample results.
Any disputed ballots will be reviewed by representatives from the Electoral Commission together with one representative from each party.
The electronic counting system is expected to deliver a final count by around 8pm on Sunday. Both the Labour Party and the Nationalist Party will then have four hours to verify the figures before the Electoral Commission formally announces the official result.
Security inside and outside the counting hall will be handled by police and military personnel.
Ballot boxes will begin arriving at the counting hall once polling stations close at 10pm on Saturday. All boxes are expected to arrive by 1am and be opened by 5am on Sunday.
Updated turnout figures are expected to be released between 4pm and 5pm on counting day.
Camilleri said the electoral process has so far progressed smoothly and that no major issues are anticipated.
Voting Statistics and Election Logistics
A total of 282 candidatures have been submitted across 163 voting areas, with 852 ballot boxes set to be used nationwide.
More than 6,000 assistants and counting staff have been deployed for the election, excluding Electoral Commission personnel, police, and military staff.
As of Monday morning, around 6.3% of voting documents had not yet been collected. By comparison, 14,073 ballots remained uncollected during the 2022 election.
Collection Deadlines and Special Voting Arrangements
Voting documents may be collected from Monday to Wednesday between 8am and 1pm and again from 3pm to 9pm. On Thursday, collection offices will remain open until midnight, which is the final deadline for issuing voting documents.
Voters who lose their document may apply for a replacement by Wednesday at 9pm through the Electoral Commission.
Assistant Electoral Commissioners are scheduled to vote on Wednesday, with 6,810 eligible voters expected to cast their ballots during early voting hours from 6am to 10pm.
Hospital patients will be able to vote on Thursday.
Silent Days and Polling Station Rules
Friday 29 May and Saturday 30 May have been designated as silent days, meaning all forms of political activity are prohibited.
All campaign billboards, banners, and posters must be removed after polls close on Saturday evening, while any political material within 50 metres of polling stations must also be cleared.
On voting day, voters aged 75 and over will receive queue priority throughout the day. Voters aged between 60 and 75, as well as persons with disabilities, will be given priority between 1pm and 5pm.
Electronic devices and photography are strictly prohibited inside polling stations.
Camilleri also urged the public to cooperate with officials and avoid unnecessary gatherings at polling places.
Voters who make an error while marking their ballot may request a replacement ballot paper from polling station assistants.
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