Expenditure for Referendum & Local Council Elections 2015

NOTICE BY THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION

The Chief Electoral Commissioner refers to media reports on expenditure incurred to conduct the April, 2015, national referendum on Spring Hunting in conjunction with 34 Local Council elections.  The reports were issued after the Minister for Finance tabled a statement on the subject in the House of Representatives. 

The Chief Electoral Commissioner would like to clarify that, whenever Local Council elections are held in conjunction with a national election or referendum, it is not possible to separate the expenditure.  Major examples are the production and distribution of voting documents, the service rendered by assistant electoral commissioners in polling stations and the various transport requisites.

It is therefore confirmed that the quoted expense of €4,631,688 includes the cost of running both the referendum and the 34 Local Council elections.

Comparative and typical examples are the 2013 General Elections and the 2014 MEP Elections, wherein Local Council elections were also held jointly and simultaneously with the respective electoral activity.

www.electoral.gov.mt

23rd July, 2015