The Single Transferable Vote (STV) is part of the large family of voting systems known collectively as proportional representation. STV is quite different, however, from such proportional representation arrangement as the “party list” system that is the norm in much of Europe. Under STV the ballot gives voters a choice among individual candidates rather than political parties. It asks voters to rank-order their preferences for various candidates and, within limits, have each vote contribute to the election of one of the voter’s choices.

STV was invented in the 19th century and found its first major advocate in John Stuart Mill. Since then it has repeatedly been endorsed and promoted by various political reformers, prominent among them the Electoral Reform Society in Great Britain.

The system is quite simple for the voter, who confronts a ballot with the names of a number of candidates and then simply numbers them in the order in which the voter prefers them. But the system involves considerable complexity in the subsequent counting – and transferring – of the various voter preferences.

The actual adoption of STV, however, has been rather limited. For example, it has been used by some professional organisations; in some local elections in the US and for some legislative elections in Australia. But there are only two countries that have used it for the election of their national legislatures: The Republics of Ireland and of Malta, both of them without interruption since the early 1920s.

After the 1927 elections, Lord Strickland’s party together with the Labour Party had a majority in the Legislative Assembly. The most important events of his administration were without any doubt his clash with the Senate, which led to the issue of Letters Patent which curtailed its powers, and his concurrent clash with the Ecclesiastical Authorities which led to the suspension of the Constitution and elections in 1930.

A constitutional crisis, resulting from a dispute between the Church and the Constitutional Party (Malta), meant that elections were suspended in 1930. On 1 May 1930, as the election approached, Bishops Dom Mauro Caruana and Mikiel Gonzi issued a pastoral letter imposing mortal sin on voters of the Constitutional Party and its allies (taken to refer to Labour). This gave the pretext to the colonial authorities to claim that a free and fair election was not possible in the circumstances and, therefore, to suspend the constitution. Strickland and his ministers were held on as a caretaker government.

The elections were held again in 1932 when the Nationalists emerged victorious (21 seats out of 32). However, the Nationalists did not last long in government. The colonial authorities, concerned at the rise of fascist Italy in the Mediterranean and Africa, suspended the government and the constitution on the pretext that government’s measures to strengthen instruction of Italian in schools violated the Constitution.

The voting certificate shown here is in three languages. The Constitution of 1921 had recognised Italian and English as the official languages of Malta, but the preponderance of English was becoming obvious. The colonial administration had all the power it needed to advance the cause of English, and the Maltese in general realised the advantages of English. Before the 1930s, Italian was the only official language of Malta, even though it was only spoken by the upper classes, with Maltese being spoken by the lower class. However, English was then added to the mix, and was made a co-official language alongside Maltese, with Italian being dropped as official Maltese became an official language of Malta in 1934, alongside English, when Italian was dropped from official use.

The document issued for Emmanuele Sciberras of 61 S. Angelo Str., Sliema also shows that it was issued on Voting District 2 (Sliema and Gzira) and shows the polling stations at Sliema Wharf, Police Station, Strada Ridolfo, No 52, Police Station, Don Rua Street, No. 5, Salesian Institute, Isouard Street, Government School and Rue d’Argens No 1b, Government School. The election was for the election of four Members of the Legislative Assembly and the document is signed by C. Farrugia (Commissioner).

Interesting aspects of the Electoral Act, 1929 emerge from the reverse of the document:

Any elector who fails to vote at an election without a valid and sufficient reason for such failure shall be guilty to an offence and shall be liable to a penalty of five shillings.

Electors domiciled in Malta who are at the time of the polling absent from these islands may cause their votes to be recorded by means of an agent duly appointed in writing for the purpose. Such appointment in writing shall be signed or marked by the elector before he leaves these islands in the presence of two duly registered electors who shall affix their signature and address and shall be valid only for any election to be held within six months from the date of the said letter or appointment.