Restrictto Candidacy:
Candidates can stand independently or be nominated by a political party. Requirements for registration are simple and non-onerous. To be registered, candidates must submit support signatures of at least four voters registered in the electoral district for which they are nominated and a EUR 90 deposit. The law establishes several incompatibilities to standing for election, including holding another nationality or an elected office, being a member of the armed forces, a government contractor or declared bankrupt, or serving a prison term of more than one year. While these restrictions are intended to prevent conflicts of interest, several are not in line with international standards, including Paragraph 7.5 of the 1990 OSCE Copenhagen Document, international good practice, and ECtHR jurisprudence.
Debate Average:
1
Debate Format:
2017: two candidates.
Opinion Polls Embargo:
Embargo on election day only
Electoral System & Organisation
Elect System Main Election:
Single Transferable Vote
Main Election Type:
General
Main Election Cycle:
5
Numb Round Main Election:
Two
Referenda_Law:
Where the majority of voters, voting in a referendum, approve the proposal regarding the provision of the enactment the repeal of which is requested, the said provision shall no longer have effect and the President of Malta shall issue a Proclamation accordingly.
Referenda_Binding:
Sometimes Binding
Voting Machine:
None
Vote IDRequired:
ID check compulsory
Polling Card:
Polling card sent but not compulsory
National Holiday Elect Day:
Never
Dayof Election:
Saturday
Districting Source:
EMB
Districting Flexibility:
An alteration of the boundaries of any electoral division under this article shall be made in such manner as secures that, at the time when the Commission carries out its review, the number obtained by dividing the total electorate in the division (as ascertained by reference to the electoral register in force at that time) by the number of members to be returned to the House of Representatives from that division is as nearly equal to the electoral quota as is reasonably practicable: Provided that any such alteration may be made in such manner that the number of voters in that division is, at the time when the Commission carries out its review, greater or less than the electoral quota multiplied by the number of members to be so returned, but in no case by more than five per centum, in order to take account of geographical vicinity, differences in density of population and other relevant factors.
Polling Station
Average Voterby Polling Station:
530
Normal Opening Time Poll Station:
700
Normal Closing Time Poll Station:
2200
Polling Station Numbers:
645
Listof Polling Station Buildings:
school, public building
Accessibility Requirement:
Party to UNCRPD According to the electoral commissions in Malta, training is given to polling station officials and guidelines are issued on how to assist people with physical disabilities,
Ballot Box Transparency:
Fully opaque
Box Feeding System:
Voter
Tellersor Party Employees:
The Electoral Commission notifies that it will receive applications from eligible persons to serve as Assistant Electoral Commissioners, Polling Place Officers and Counting Staff in the forthcoming European Parliament and Local Council Elections due on Saturday, 25th May, 2019. Applicants would be expected to attend briefing sessions held by the Electoral Commission in due course.
Ballot Paper
Ballot Type:
Paper
Singleor Multi Paper Ballot:
Single
Ballot Paper Type Description:
Single ballot paper. Voters are asked to give a preference ranking to as many candidates on the ballot as they wish, in numerical order: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc.. Voters may choose candidates from different political parties.
Ballot Paper Type Photo Upload:
YES
Ballot Logos:
Freely Allowed
Orderof Candidatesor Parties:
alphabetical
Remote Voting
Temporal Remote Voting:
Automatic right
Geographical Remote Voting:
No
Personal Remote Voting:
No
Time Temporal Remote:
2
Remote Voting List:
Advance Voting
Mobile Polling Stations:
No
Special Needs
Provision First Time Voters:
Make it Count - JCI Malta
Provision Illiterate Voters:
Constitution: Ballot papers shall be drawn up in such a manner as to enable illiterates to distinguish between the political parties to which candidates belong.
Provision Linguistic Ethnic Minorites:
information available in other languages
Provision Blind Voters:
General Elections Act (1991, last amended 2014). Article 49, subsection 1 states: The Commission shall, not earlier than thirteen days but not later than ten days before the poll, print such number of ballot papers as may be necessary for the poll in such form and on such material as may be prescribed under this Act. Not later than five days from the printing of the ballot papers, the Commission shall produce a Braille template for use as a guide on the ballot paper as well as a playback listening device by which a blind person may recognize the political parties and their candidates in the same manner as they are printed. Such materials shall be available for reasonable scrutiny by the representatives of the political parties contesting the poll to ascertain the transparency of the procedure, which scrutiny shall be exercised not later than three days before the poll. Should no objection be raised the materials shall be deemed to have been approved by the Commission. Article 72 states: (1) Any voter who declares to, and shows to the satisfaction of, the Assistant Commissioners that he is unable by reason of blindness, other physical cause or illiteracy to mark his ballot paper, may request an Assistant Commissioner to mark the paper on his behalf indicating for which candidate or candidates he wishes to vote and the order in which he wishes to record his vote: Provided that the voter may not ask for any particular Assistant Commissioner to mark the ballot paper on his behalf: Provided further that a person who is unable to vote independently by reason of blindness may either request an Assistant Commissioner to mark the ballot paper on his behalf indicating for which candidate or candidates he wishes to vote and the order in which he wishes to record his vote, or request the provision of a Braille template as well as a playback listening device as approved under the provisions of subarticle (1) of article 49. - information about elections in Braille or large text for people with visual impairment
Provision Deaf Voters:
General Elections Act (1991, last amended 2014). Article 64, subsection 3 states: The Commission shall, as far as possible, provide facilities so that handicapped persons, including persons in wheelchairs, may vote in comfort. Article 72 states: (1) Any voter who declares to, and shows to the satisfaction of, the Assistant Commissioners that he is unable by reason of blindness, other physical cause or illiteracy to mark his ballot paper, may request an Assistant Commissioner to mark the paper on his behalf indicating for which candidate or candidates he wishes to vote and the order in which he wishes to record his vote: Provided that the voter may not ask for any particular Assistant Commissioner to mark the ballot paper on his behalf: Provided further that a person who is unable to vote independently by reason of blindness may either request an Assistant Commissioner to mark the ballot paper on his behalf indicating for which candidate or candidates he wishes to vote and the order in which he wishes to record his vote, or request the provision of a Braille template as well as a playback listening device as approved under the provisions of subarticle (1) of article 49.
Provision Motor Handicap Voters:
General Elections Act (1991, last amended 2014). Article 64, subsection 3 states: The Commission shall, as far as possible, provide facilities so that handicapped persons, including persons in wheelchairs, may vote in comfort. Article 72 states: (1) Any voter who declares to, and shows to the satisfaction of, the Assistant Commissioners that he is unable by reason of blindness, other physical cause or illiteracy to mark his ballot paper, may request an Assistant Commissioner to mark the paper on his behalf indicating for which candidate or candidates he wishes to vote and the order in which he wishes to record his vote: Provided that the voter may not ask for any particular Assistant Commissioner to mark the ballot paper on his behalf: Provided further that a person who is unable to vote independently by reason of blindness may either request an Assistant Commissioner to mark the ballot paper on his behalf indicating for which candidate or candidates he wishes to vote and the order in which he wishes to record his vote, or request the provision of a Braille template as well as a playback listening device as approved under the provisions of subarticle (1) of article 49.