Election day has come and gone, the votes have been counted, and attention has naturally turned to the winners and losers of the general election. Yet amid the celebrations, analyses and political calculations, there is another group whose voice should not be ignored: the tens of thousands of voters who chose not to participate.

The turnout in this election increased from 85.5 per cent in 2022 to 87.5 per cent this year. On the surface, this represents a positive development. More people exercised their democratic right and took part in deciding the country's future. Any increase in participation should be welcomed.

But the broader picture tells a more complex story.

While turnout improved slightly, it remained significantly lower than the levels Malta had become accustomed to for decades. Until recent years, general elections regularly attracted participation rates above 90 per cent. The fact that turnout remains below that threshold means that a substantial section of the electorate is still choosing to remain outside the political process.

A total of 44,703 registered voters did not cast their ballot. Added to this were 6,093 invalid votes. Together, these figures amount to more than 50,000 people whose votes did not contribute to the final result. In practical terms, this is roughly equivalent to the electorate of two whole electoral districts.

Of course, some of these cases can be explained. There are voters who passed away after electoral documents were issued. Others may have been unable to leave their homes because of illness or old age. Some may have been abroad or faced other personal circumstances that prevented them from voting.

Yet even after accounting for such situations, the numbers remain too large to dismiss.

There is a message hidden within these figures, and Malta's political parties would do well to pay attention to it.

For many years, elections in Malta were characterised by extraordinarily high levels of participation. Voting was viewed almost as a civic duty. Families discussed politics passionately, party loyalties were strong and election day itself carried immense significance.

That reality is changing.

Some of those who stayed away may simply have lost interest in politics. Others may have become disillusioned with the way political debate has evolved. But there is likely another category of non-voters whose absence should concern both major parties.

These are people who may have supported either the Labour Party or the Nationalist Party in the past but who no longer feel represented by their traditional choice. At the same time, they may have found it impossible to support the opposing major party. Faced with a choice that did not inspire them, they chose neither.

Equally significant is the fact that many did not transfer their support to smaller parties. This suggests that their dissatisfaction extends beyond the established political forces and reflects a broader disenchantment with the political landscape as a whole.

Throughout the campaign, both Robert Abela and Alex Borg repeatedly appealed to citizens to vote. Their calls undoubtedly contributed to the increase in turnout. Yet they were unable to convince tens of thousands of registered voters to participate.

That should be a cause for reflection.

Democracy does not require 100 per cent turnout to function. No mature democracy expects every eligible voter to cast a ballot. There will always be a percentage of people who abstain for personal, practical or political reasons.

But when more than 50,000 votes are effectively absent from the final count, political leaders cannot simply shrug their shoulders and move on.

The election result provides a mandate to govern. The turnout figures provide a warning that should not be ignored.

Once the celebrations end and the political machinery returns to the business of governing, both major parties should devote some attention to understanding why so many citizens felt detached from the process. Rebuilding trust among those voters may prove just as important as retaining the support of those who turned up.

The health of a democracy is measured not only by those who vote, but also by understanding why so many choose not to.