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A First-Time Voter’s Guide To Surviving A Maltese Election

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With the general election presumably just around the corner, the younger generation is being faced with a new responsibility: the power to vote. 

The forthcoming election will be the first general election after the Vote 16 reforms which were implemented in March 2018. People between the ages of 16 and 22 will be amongst the new generation of first-time voters, making this election one of the largest Malta has ever witnessed. 

Unfortunately, due to the Maltese education system’s tendency to treat politics as a somewhat taboo topic, other than briefly mentioning it in the Systems of Knowledge curriculum, many young people have no idea about what to do, come an election. Truthfully, it’s not just young people, adults of all ages suffer from the same lack of knowledge. 

This lack of awareness leads to a complete disinterest and apathy towards voting and politics in general, which is not only detrimental to one’s social development but is a threat to democracy. 

So, with that in mind, here is a concise first-time voter’s guide to surviving a Maltese election.

1. Find out what district you live in 

During the general election, Malta is split into 13 voting districts. So, the first step you should take during election time is figuring out which district you live in. You can do this by taking a look at this page.

2. Find out who’s running in your district 

Once you have figured out which district you live in, take a look at the different candidates who will be running in your area. You can usually find each political party’s list of candidates on their website. At present, only the PN has uploaded a full list of candidates while independent candidate Arnold Cassola has officially launched his campaign, but you can also check by scouring through Facebook.

3. Do your research about what the candidates stand for

Look at candidates who strike your interest and have similar values and beliefs to your own. You can do this by following news websites from across the political spectrum, following various politicians’ and political parties’ social media accounts. After all, the main goal of voting is to get people who represent what you stand for and what you believe in to be your voice in parliament. 

 

4. Look up news articles about the candidates to make sure they are “clean”

In recent years, Maltese politics has been rampant with scandals about allegations of corrupt dealings and criminal activity, particular involving current and former members of parliament.

So, making sure the candidates you are considering voting for are not involved in any scandals such as these is key to keeping democracy and transparency in Maltese politics alive.

5. Understand the issues Malta is facing 

Over the past few years, issues such as corruption, money laundering, environmental issues, migration and overdevelopment have become increasingly apparent. It is important to understand these issues and how they affect Maltese society as a whole. 

 

6. Use the research you’ve done to decide who to vote for

Once you have done your research, decide ahead of time who you want to vote for. Your vote should never be a last-minute decision as it will only open up the door for you to be swayed by people who may not share your interests or agenda.

7. Make sure your name is on the electoral register

Although once you reach the legal age to vote you are supposed to be automatically registered, there is always a small chance that an error may occur.

So, make sure to check whether or not your name is on the electoral register by inputting your name, ID card number and date of birth in the form found on this page. You cannot vote if you are not registered on the electoral register.

If you are not registered, don’t worry, just reach out to the Electoral Commission immediately and it should be able to help sort out any issues you may have.

8. Learn how the electoral ballot system works

Keep in mind that Malta uses a single transferable voting system, which means that voters have to list their preference for candidates, labelling their most preferred candidate as number one on the voting ballot.

Once a candidate reaches the quota, the additional votes for that candidate are passed on to the candidate listed as the second preference and so on until five people are elected. 

Maltese district elections are highly competitive and come sometimes go all the way until the 24th count. Every preference vote matters, so be sure to fill out the list.

9. Make sure you know what documents you need to take with you to the polling station 

Just like you cannot vote without being registered on the electoral register, you cannot vote if you do not have the appropriate documentation with you when you arrive at the polling station. So, before you arrive at the polling station, make sure that you have a valid ID card and voting document with you.

10. Find out the location and opening hours of your polling station ahead of time

One quick tip when it comes to surviving election day is beating the crowds to the polling stations by going as soon as they open, so you do not have to worry about not managing to vote if something comes up in the middle of the day.  

11. Vote based on your fact-based beliefs

Always vote according to facts and your own beliefs, not according to what your family is voting for. If you are concerned about people finding out how you voted, always remember that the vote is secret, so only you will ever know how you voted.

12. Remember that your vote counts. 

Global trends show that many election results were based on voter-led movements, regardless of whether you agree with them on a personal level or not. Maltese elections are no different, especially considering that with our highly competitive district elections, a few votes really do make a difference and this needs to be understood and acknowledged. 

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Amy is a university student with a keen interest in all things related to food, photography, press freedom, politics and justice. Send her any stories that might be of interest at [email protected]

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