Ballots are then flattened and put into packets of 50 upside down without the preferences being visible. Counting and sorting according to first preferences does not begin before every single vote is sorted this way. It has been done in a very orderly and calm way. He is considered responsible of the downfall of the MLP Government after he withdrew his support in the slim one-seat Government majority in Parliament. The average was on the same level of the 1996 Election.
Some polling booths open a few minutes late because of minor administrative hitches.
278,000 voters are expected to cast their vote in 13 districts around Malta and Gozo for 200 candidates. After a 33-day electoral campaign in the baking August sun, it is a day of reflection for the Maltese electorate. Assistant electoral commissioners, who will be on duty all day in Election Day, vote at Ta' Qali in advance. MLP MPs Dom Mintoff, Alex Sciberras Trigona and Lino Spiteri are not contesting, despite rife speculation that Mintoff and Sciberras Trigona were to contest on AD's side.