One week after the general election took place, the counting process for the local council elections in 23 localities will start today.

Although usually the local council elections are given their due importance, this year they have been left out of the limelight – if not forgotten completely – because of the general election.

The local council elections were held in 23 localities – 18 in Malta and five in Gozo.

Although, last Saturday, only a third of the localities voted for their local councillors, 92.7 per cent of voting documents were collected, leaving a total of 6,825 uncollected voted documents for the local elections.

According to statistics issued by the Electoral Commission, the turnout in this year’s local council election was higher when compared to 2003. Only 68 per cent of the electorate did their civic duty in 2003, as opposed to 86 per cent last week.

A total of 241 candidates contested in the local elections – 120 from the Malta Labour Party, 110 from the Nationalist Party, five independent candidates and six from Alternattiva Demokratika.

The highest turnout was in Dingli where 94 per cent went to vote – an increase of 14 per cent over 2003.

Next in line were five localities with 92 per cent – Zebbug, Zejtun, Mqabba, St Venera and Zurrieq. In all these localities, the percentage of voters increased when compared to 2005.

This year, the lowest turnout was in St Julian’s (77 per cent) – an increase of 23 per cent over 2003 when the turnout was 54 per cent. Ghasri followed with a 78 per cent turnout.

Although the counting process will start early this morning, it is not expected that the final results will be completed before tomorrow due to large localities such as Zejtun and Zebbug.

However, there will be a clear indication about who will be the winning party. The Labour Party won the last three local council elections but this year it will very difficult especially after the photo-finish victory the Nationalist Party had.