UPDATED: 58.3% Turnout by 2PM As Labour Members Voting For New Leader: Joseph Muscat Votes For The Last Time As Prime Minister

The Labour Party leadership contest kicked off this morning at 8am with around 17,531 party members eligible to vote. Voting closes at 8pm with a result expected a few hours later.

The Labour Party said that 58.3% of those eligible to vote had done so by 2pm.

Outgoing leader and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat voted at the Naxxar Labour Party club around 1030am. He was accompanied by his wife Michelle. Both spoke briefly to supporters outside the club before speeding away in the official car just after voting.

Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne cast his vote in Fgura earlier today with the other contestant for the post, Robert Abela voting in Qormi

Speaking to Lovin Mata, Labour Party CEO confirmed that no voting documents had been issued for the election. The party had sent out around 17,500 letters to eligible members and these were to take this letter with them as well any government ID document(ID Card, Driving License) to vote. There are twelve polling stations for each district in Malta and one in Sannat for Gozo.