Malta’s electorate today breathes a collective sigh of relief following five weeks of heavy political bombardment, with electoral campaigning having wrapped up last night at midnight.
The country today marks a period of reflection leading up to tomorrow’s general election, with political news reports on all media suspended until the polls close on Saturday night.
Voters will now be able to peacefully digest the myriad messages propagated over the last weeks of campaigning by all political parties, as well as the contents of yesterday’s political activities and last night’s head-to-head debate between the leaders of Malta’s two main political parties.
Many people will be taking a long weekend, while several shops and businesses are to remain closed on Monday in the wake of Sunday’s results.
Polling on Saturday begins at 7am and closes at 10pm, following which the boxes containing the votes will be taken to the old trade fair grounds in Naxxar. Votes are to begin being sorted at 10.30am on Sunday morning and will not begin being counted until at least noon. An official result is not expected until Sunday evening, although a good indication is expected to be available by the early afternoon.
The former trade fair grounds in Naxxar, where counting is being done for the first time this election, will be a hive of activity on Sunday, with some 1,300 to 1,500 people expected to be present in the counting hall Sunday morning for the first count.
A total of some 5,000 people are expected to have passed through the complex between Saturday and the finalisation of the process on Tuesday.
No fewer than 600 fixed telephone lines have been installed at the complex, as well as 12 back-up generators to mitigate the eventuality of a power cut. In all, there are 3,980 assistant electoral commissioners, 598 counting staff, 402 supervisors and 49 calculators.
A total of 591 ballot boxes representing Malta’s 13 electoral districts, plus an additional two “districts” for residents of St Vincent de Paule home for the elderly and those on duty at the counting hall, will be delivered to Naxxar after polling closes at 10pm. The voter turnout figure is expected late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.
A police and army detachment are to be stationed at the counting hall, along with a contingent of police cavalry.
Security on the roads is also expected to be heightened on both Sunday and Monday.
This year there are 314,364 eligible voters, as against 294,106 voters eligible for the 2003 election.
Following the elections, the prime minister could be expected to be sworn in on Monday while a new Cabinet could be appointed either on the same day or on Tuesday.