When will you know the result?

Counting will start at 9am and will first see manual counters validate each and every vote. Party agents will monitor the ballots, with dubious votes being placed in a separate pile for the Electoral Commission to determine their validity. 

Party agents will be conducting their own samples within the districts. The outcome, while not official, will be made clear within an hour or two of the count, particularly if the margin is large. 

However, an official result will be released later in the day. Validated votes will be passed through electronic scanners, which will be able to determine the total votes given to each party and which candidates are elected to each district. 

A provisional result should be ready within three to four hours from the start of counting. However, political parties have a four-hour window to address any concerns over the result.

At the end of the four-hour window and save any complaints, the Electoral Commission will publish the results in full.

It is expected that an official result will be published on Sunday evening or even Monday morning.

In previous elections which relied on manual counting, the country would have to wait days before receiving an official list of candidates.

Abela and Grech: What happens after the result is announced?

Expect major reactions from the moment a sample result is made clear with the winners usually entering into a jubilant celebration at the counting hall. 

The victor will likely first hold a short meeting at their party headquarters, before potentially announcing a separate event for supporters. The victor will also appear at the counting hall to congratulate their most ardent supporters. 

The loser, as is customary, will concede soon after. Simon Busuttil did not make an appearance at the counting hall in 2017 and it remains to be seen whether the loser will appear at the counting hall as a show of solidarity with the party delegates. 

PN statute dictates that a leadership election is required after every electoral loss. Grech has announced his intention to contest regardless of the result. However, he may not have an option if the gap is similar to 2017. 

Which districts should you look out for?

While surveys currently show a significant Labour Party victory, there are still some intense battles within particular districts. The 5th District, for example, will see Abela and Grech face off head to head and could have a major impact beyond 2022. 

The Labour Party looks on course to steal the majority on the 12th District and potentially increase its margin on the 6th. Meanwhile, the PN looks to land a significant blow on the 10th and the 4th.  

Cabinet members and other major PL figures could potentially miss out on getting elected, particularly with the presence of major competition in the 2nd District in particular. 

And when are the casual elections?

In Malta, candidates are allowed to contest on two districts and in some cases, they manage to get elected on both. However, candidates are only allowed to keep one seat, opening up a casual election on the district they vacate. 

Candidates interested in contesting the casual election have a week to inform the Commission of their decision to contest the casual election. A vote is held roughly a week after that. Results will be available quickly due to the electronic voting system.

When does the gender corrective mechanism apply?

For the first time ever, Malta will make use of a gender corrective mechanism, better known as the gender quota. This will see seats added to ensure that the less represented gender, in this election women, make up 40% of parliament. 

Each party can add a maximum of six candidates each, who will be chosen on the number of votes they receive. 

This mechanism will only be used after the casual elections, once all seats are determined. However, the mechanism could run into issues as it is being challenged in court and could eventually be subject to a prohibitory injunction. 

Whatever the case it’s going to be a long and exciting day that will determine the direction of the country for at least another five years.

Who do you think will win the election?