Ballot papers will start being sorted at 9am on Sunday as the counting process for the general election gets under way at the Naxxar Counting Hall, Chief Electoral Commissioner Joseph Camilleri said on Monday.

Addressing the media, Camilleri said Malta has 356,832 eligible voters, with 334,481 having already collected their voting document. This means that 22,333 voting documents are still awaiting collection. He also noted that 18,622 people will be voting for the first time in this election.

On counting day, party agents are expected to take up their positions behind the perspex screens by 8.45am, with the scanning and verification of ballot papers beginning shortly afterwards. The two major political parties are expected to start taking samples immediately in order to project the result, meaning an unofficial indication of the outcome could emerge between one and two hours after counting begins.

Any disputed ballots will be examined by representatives of the Electoral Commission together with one representative from each political party.

According to Camilleri, the electoral system is expected to produce a final count at around 8pm on Sunday. The Labour Party and the Nationalist Party will then each have four hours to compare the figures with their own systems before the official result is declared by the Electoral Commission. Political parties may nevertheless issue their own projections beforehand.

Security at the counting hall will be handled by police and members of the armed forces, both inside and outside the venue.

Ballot boxes are scheduled to begin arriving at the counting hall once voting closes at 10pm on Saturday. All boxes are expected to arrive by around 1am and to be opened by 5am. Updated turnout figures are anticipated between 4pm and 5pm on Sunday.

The number of eligible voters represents a net increase of 1,767 compared to the 2022 election, when the electorate stood at 355,075. Of the current total, 18,620 are newly registered voters.

A total of 282 candidates are contesting the election across 163 voting areas, with 852 ballot boxes being used nationwide.

More than 6,000 assistants and counting staff have been deployed for the election process, excluding internal Electoral Commission employees, police officers and military personnel.

By 9am on Monday, 334,481 voting documents had been collected across the country, leaving 22,300 still unclaimed - equivalent to 6.3% of the electorate. In comparison, 14,073 voting documents remained uncollected during the 2022 general election.

Voting document collection centres will remain open from Monday to Wednesday between 8am and 1pm, and again from 3pm to 9pm. On Thursday, centres will operate from 8am to 1pm and from 3pm until midnight, which is the final deadline for collection.

Voters who lose their voting document may apply for a replacement through the Electoral Commission until Wednesday at 9pm. Separate applications must be filed with the Maltese and Gozitan electoral commissions.

Assistant Electoral Commissioners are due to cast their votes on Wednesday, with 6,810 eligible voters expected to participate during early voting hours between 6am and 10pm. Hospital patients will be able to vote on Thursday.

Friday 29 May and Saturday 30 May have both been designated silent days, meaning no political activity may take place.

All political billboards, banners and posters must be removed once polls close at 10pm on Saturday. Any campaign material located within 50 metres of a polling station must also be cleared.

On election day, voters aged 75 and over will be given priority in queues throughout the day. Voters aged between 60 and 75, as well as persons with disabilities, will be given precedence between 1pm and 5pm.

Electronic devices are prohibited inside polling stations and taking photographs is not allowed.

Camilleri also appealed to the public to cooperate fully and avoid unnecessary gatherings or socialising near polling stations.

Voters who accidentally spoil their ballot paper may request that it be cancelled and replaced by approaching an electoral assistant.