Whenever an election comes around, Maltese people living abroad are made to travel to Malta in order to cast their vote, not having the option to vote in the country they are currently situated in.

Just yesterday, The Malta Independent reported that a total of €815,000 was spent to fly 525 voters along with 270 of their dependents to Malta to vote in last May’s European Parliament elections. This effectively works out to €1,012.42 being spent on every person who took one of these subsidised tickets, and €1,552.38 per person when only considering those 525 who voted, which was in reality the idea behind these subsidised flights.

The figures emerge from a report issued by the Electoral Commission, delving into the logistics and expenses related to the MEP elections.

The people are now used to having flights subsidised when elections come round, in order for them to find it easier to come to Malta and vote.

However, would it not be easier if these people could vote in the Maltese embassies and consulates around the world?

This was indeed a promise made by the Labour Party back in 2013, yet was not kept, to allow voting in embassies. The same promise was made in 2017, but has not yet been kept.

While votes living abroad could see this as a chance to come home and visit family, others would see it as a hassle. Indeed flight seats could be limited perhaps, or the voters might see it as too much of a hassle to travel by plane to Malta just to cast their vote, and might not come.

Malta needs to make it easier for Maltese expats to cast their vote from abroad.

It would also, presumably, save Malta some cash, as perhaps subsidised flights might no longer be needed.

Everyone has a right to vote, and should be able to exercise that right without the extra added burden of having to book flights to Malta. Indeed one must not just consider the Maltese living in mainland Europe, but what about those further away, across the oceans? Are they meant to drop everything and hop on a 14-hour flight? Is that the kind of action we are taking to allow them to exercise their right to vote? No it is not.

On a positive note, the electronic vote counting system was indeed a success when used in the MEP and local council elections. But given that Malta is making technological strides, then surely some form of agreement can be reached on a mechanism for votes to be case in embassies?

Obviously certain safeguards would need to be in place, given that the same level of scrutiny over the vote casting process must be observed be them votes cast in Malta, or votes cast in other countries for a local Maltese election.