Elections
General Elections
The election of members of the House of Representatives is the sole responsibility of the Electoral Commission as established by Article 60 of the Constitution of the Republic of Malta. The holding of such elections is regulated by the General Elections Act (Cap. 354 of the laws of Malta).
The electoral system existing since 1921 and sanctioned by various constitutions is that of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (STV).
The Maltese Islands are divided into 13 electoral divisions each returning 5 members to the House of Representatives. A list of eligible voters, in the form of an electoral register, is revised and published every April and October in the Government Gazette. When elections are called, by means of a Writ under the hand of the President of the Republic, the Electoral Commission prints and distributes voting documents to voters according to the last-published electoral register. The Electoral Commission proceeds to carry out all the administrative and organizational functions necessary to ensure the correct and smooth-running of such elections.
Local Councils Elections
A law providing for the setting-up of Local Councils was passed through Parliament in 1993 (Act XV) establishing 67 localities, 53 in Malta and 14 in Gozo. In December 1999 an amending Act (XXI) added a new locality (the 68th) – Mtarfa. The first elections, always based on the same principle used in general elections, were held between November 1993 and May 1994 while the first election for councillors of Mtarfa was held in March 2000. The 1999 amendment also included an additional Schedule listing ten hamlets within established localities. These are Fleur-de-Lys in Birkirkara, Santa Luċija in Kerċem, Gwardamanga in Pietà, Paceville in San Ġiljan, Kappara in San Ġwann, Ibraġ and Madliena in Swieqi, Marsalforn in Żebbuġ, Gozo, Bubaqra in Żurrieq and Xlendi in Munxar.
Staggered local elections for 22 or 23 localities are held every March such that every council is voted in for a period of 3 years. Except that in 2004 elections due were postponed to 12th June to coincide with the first-ever national election to select five members for the European Parliament. Council elections were regularly held on 12th March, 2005, for the councils of Valletta, Isla, Żebbuġ, Balzan, Dingli, Fontana, Għajnsielem, Għasri, Iklin, Kirkop, Mellieħa, Mqabba, Nadur, Pembroke, Qrendi, San Ġiljan, San Pawl il-Baħar, Santa Venera, Ta’ Xbiex, Xewkija and Żurrieq. No elections were necessary for Żejtun and Marsa as the number of contesting candidates was equal to the number of councillors required and were therefore elected uncontested. Full results may be seen on this site by clicking on "Councils" above.
The number of councillors for each locality is determined according to the population in the locality, where 5 is the minimum and 13 the maximum number of councillors.
Between 1993 and 2003, British citizens satisfying the electoral qualifications as set out in the Local Councils Act were entitled to stand as candidates and to vote for their respective council, together with Maltese electors. From 2004, these rights were extended when the list of eligible voters included all EU nationals, resident in the Maltese Islands, who are registered and possess a Maltese identity card.
Elections for Administrative Committees for Communities
By means of Legal Notice 54 of 2010, the Hon. Prime Minister issued specific regulations for the establishment of Communities within local councils and for the election of their Administrative Committees each consisting of five members.
The first set of elections for eight of the already established communities were held on Saturday 27th March, 2010. However, voting only took place in seven communities since the five candidates for Santa Luċija in Kerċem were declared as elected without contestation. Voting and counting took place in Bubaqra (Żurrieq), Paceville (San Ġiljan), Madliena (Swieqi), Kappara (San Ġwann), Fleur-de-Lys (Birkirkara), Marsalforn (Żebbug) and Xlendi (Munxar).
Legal Notice 227 of 2010 then established another eight communities. With the exception of St Peter's (Żabbar), where only three candidates stood for election, the elections for five members each from the communities of Gwardamangia (Pieta’), Ħal-Farruġ (Luqa), Baħrija (Rabat), Tal-Virtu’ (Rabat), Swatar (Birkirkara and Msida), Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq (Naxxar) and Burmarrad (San Pawl il-Baħar) were successfully held on 5th June, 2010. It is planned that the Electoral Commission would issue a fresh call for nominations to fill the remaining two places on the St Peter's Committee such that the election, if need be, would be held early in October, 2010.
Elections for Members of the European Parliament
Act XVI of 2003 provided for the first-ever holding of elections of members to the European Parliament. This was held on Saturday 12th June, 2004.
The Electoral Commission published a new European Union Electoral Register after it drew the attention of EU citizens resident in Malta and of Maltese nationals residing in EU member countries that they could apply to be listed in this register to eventually be able to vote in Malta to elect five members to the European Parliament. Again, the voting system applied was by Single Transferable Vote and most of the regulations were similar to the ones used in general elections. In fact, Section 21 states that the conduct of elections and the counting of votes shall apply according to the provisions in the General Elections Act. A basic difference was that the Maltese Islands were considered as one electoral district.
For the June 2004 MEPs Election twenty-seven candidates contested the five seats. While 5 persons stood as independent candidates, the other 22 contested under the names of 7 parties. Next elections are due in 2009
Referenda
The objective of the Referenda Act (Cap.237) is for registered voters to decide either whether they approve a proposal or proposals set out in a resolution passed by the House of Representatives or whether they agree that a provision of law should be abrogated.
On the 8th of March, 2003, the electorate was asked to decide by means of a referendum on the proposal that Malta becomes a member of the EU on its enlargement due on 1st May, 2004. Prior to this, the last-held national referendum had taken place 39 years before. This concerned the confirmation of the Independence Constitution.