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[LIVE] High turnout in hunters’ districts

Live coverage of voting day for referendum on spring hunting derogation and local councils 2015 • Turnout is of 75%, 3% more than the 2011 divorce referendum

Last updated on 12 April 2015, 12:20am
Pickets outside polling stations in Qormi
Pickets outside polling stations in Qormi
Pickets outside polling stations in San Gwann
Pickets outside polling stations in San Gwann
Polling station sign - San Gwann
Polling station sign - San Gwann
Opposition leader Simon Busuttil (Photo: Ray Attard)
Opposition leader Simon Busuttil (Photo: Ray Attard)
President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca casts her vote (Photo: Chris Mangion)
President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca casts her vote (Photo: Chris Mangion)
Joseph Muscat votes in the 2015 referendum and local council elections
Joseph Muscat votes in the 2015 referendum and local council elections
Opposition leader Simon Busuttil off to the polling station to cast his vote.
Opposition leader Simon Busuttil off to the polling station to cast his vote.
Arnold Cassola in St Julian's casting his vote: the Greens were part of the Spring Hunting Out campaign.
Arnold Cassola in St Julian's casting his vote: the Greens were part of the Spring Hunting Out campaign.
Nun, 102, joins the Maltese in voting
Nun, 102, joins the Maltese in voting
Nationalist MPs Beppe Fenech Adami, Marthese Portelli and Francis Zammit Dimech in a friendly chat in St Julian's with parliamentary secretary Michael Falzon
Nationalist MPs Beppe Fenech Adami, Marthese Portelli and Francis Zammit Dimech in a friendly chat in St Julian's with parliamentary secretary Michael Falzon
A mobile phone photo of two Iva canvassers in Qala reportedly canvassing voters as they make their way to the polling station.
A mobile phone photo of two Iva canvassers in Qala reportedly canvassing voters as they make their way to the polling station.
00:35 Miriam Dalli
00:35 Miriam Dalli
00:33 The official turnouts are out and approximately 75% took part in the referendum while 68% took part in local councils elections.

Compared with the 2011 divorce referendum, this year’s referendum saw a 3% increase in the turnout. A 9% increase was registered in the turnout of the local councils, compared with those held in 2011. Miriam Dalli

00:13 SHout - the NO camp - have also issued a statement thanking the thousands of Maltese and Gozitans "who took part in the democratic process to abolish spring hunting". Miriam Dalli
23:54 Hunting chief Lino Farrugia issues statement on behalf of FKNK to thank all those who contributed “to the success” of the Yes campaign. Farrugia went on to thanks all Maltese and Gozitans. Miriam Dalli
22:58 Matthew Vella
22:43 Miriam Dalli
22:39 Labour leader thanks candidates for local councils efforts (no mention of referendum) Miriam Dalli
22:37 The first coaches start arriving in Naxxar Miriam Dalli
22:28 Fireworks being let off in the environs of San Gwann and Gharghur... is there a feast on? Matthew Vella
22:23 Tim Diacono, from the Counting Hall in Naxxar, says the Armed Forces are on watch, waiting for the coaches with the ballot boxes to arrive. Miriam Dalli
22:02 10pm and the polling stations have now closed. The sealing of boxes now kicks off after which they will be transported to the Naxxar Counting Hall. Miriam Dalli
21:34 Less than 30 minutes to go for the closing of the polling stations! Miriam Dalli
21:27 Matthew Vella
20:18 Police were forced to intervene at room 167 at the Paola Primary School after assistant electoral commissioners were involved in a punch-up, just a few minutes ago, sources say. Miriam Dalli
19:50 Miriam Dalli
19:44 Two assistant electoral commissioners (AECs)stationed at the polling station in Xaghra, Gozo, have been suspended by the Electoral Commissioner, maltarightnow.com reports.

According to the PN media, the two were suspended after a voter submitted his referendum vote in the ballot box for the council election, while submitting his council vote into the ballot box allocated for the referendum.

AECs are stationed at the polling stations to assist voters and, in cases where there are more than one vote to be cast, guide them as to which ballot box the votes must be submitted in.

In certain instances, voters have reported seeing both green (local councils) and white (referendum) ballot sheets submitted in the same box. Miriam Dalli

18:55 A reader has told us he identified canvassers in Qala, Nadur, Xewkija, Sannat, Gharb and San Lawrenz, campaigning and telling people to vote yes. “Some were carrying the IVA badge and telling people to vote ‘yes’.”

The photo sent here are of two canvassers in Sannat. Police have been alerted. Matthew Vella
18:55 Three hours left to go ... polling stations close at 10pm after which the ballot boxes will be sealed and transported to the Counting Hall in Naxxar. Sorting and counting of the referendum votes is set to start at 9am tomorrow. Miriam Dalli
18:36 Norman Vella, who earlier on in the day blogged about having been asked by a police officer to deposit his mobile phone outside the Mqabba polling booth before voting, has reported the incident to the Commissioner of Police.

The police has officially informed Vella that an “investigation” was carried out, and that the police officer who was asking for these mobiles was removed from the polling station. Matthew Vella
18:10 Pro-hunting activists making their presence felt in Gozo, according to voters on the sister island. No incidents have been reported but reports are coming in of hunters gathering next to the polling stations.

The reports started coming in after the Electoral Commission announced the 2pm turnouts which registered an approximate percentage of 34%. Miriam Dalli

18:03 Miriam Dalli
17:15 Comparing the 2pm turnout of the spring hunting referendum with the 2011 divorce referendum

A comparison with the 2011 divorce referendum shows:

• an increase in the: 4th district (1%), 5th district (3%), 6th district (4%), 7th district (2%) and 13th district (3%)

• a decrease in the: 1st district (-3%), 2nd district (-2%), 3rd district (-1%), 8th district (-2%), 9th district (-2%), 10th district (-2%) and the 12th district (-1%) Matthew Vella
17:08 Here's the turnout at 2pm for local council elections: average stands at 31%

 Matthew Vella
16:43 Matthew Vella
16:41 The average approximate percentage voting turnout up to 2pm for the local councils elections was of 31%. 34 localities are contesting the council elections while the rest of Malta is taking part in the referendum to abolish or retain spring hunting. Miriam Dalli
16:37 Official data issued by the Electoral Commission shows a 34% average turnout for the spring hunting referendum. The average is in line with the 2pm turnout registered during the 2011 divorce referendum. Miriam Dalli
16:13 Miriam Dalli
16:08 This is also the first time that some 4,485 youths aged 16 and 17 will be voting in the local councils elections. Miriam Dalli
16:06 With six hours left to go, Malta is voting in 34 localities to elect its council representatives and a separate vote to determine the fate of spring hunting in Malta. Our reporters, out and about around the island, have reported a good flow of people in a number of localities, including Birgu, Bormla Haz-Zabbar and Marsaskala Miriam Dalli
13:34 SHout reports Gozo Channel using three ferries as hundreds cross over to Gozo to vote. Miriam Dalli
13:33 Here's Opposition leader Simon Busuttil casting his vote. Miriam Dalli
12:11 Here's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat casting his vote.

Matthew Vella
12:06 Miriam Dalli tells us that although there are no local council elections in Lija, the turnout looks positive, with a general busy atmosphere of people coming in and out of the polling station. Matthew Vella
12:01 Miriam Dalli waits for Opposition leader Simon Busuttil in Lija. No council elections here.

 Matthew Vella
11:29 Here's Mario Cacciattolo from the BBC, with his piece for the Beeb on Malta's spring hunting referendum.

 Matthew Vella
11:21 Miriam Dalli reports from Burmarrad saying that the Iva pro-hunting campaign has given 'streetleaders' outside polling stations with tags saying 'IVA - Locality Leader'. Matthew Vella
11:18 Here is the BBC's Springwatch presenter and naturalist Chris Packham tweeting on the referendum.

Matthew Vella
11:11 Moira Delia, SHout spokeswoman, interviewed.

 Matthew Vella
10:55 Matthew Vella
10:55 That's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat voting in Burmarrad... Matthew Vella
10:54 Matthew Vella
10:44 As Prime Minister Joseph Muscat goes to vote, it is worth nothing that the highest number of uncollected votes was in his 12th district, where 3,433 votes were uncollected out of the 27,320 registered voters. That's a not inconsiderable 12% of registered voters. Matthew Vella
10:42 Callers have told the MaltaToday newsroom that they have seen Iva supporters standing outside the 50m boundary, holding a ballot sheet specimen with an X on the 'yes' sign. "I felt intimidated," said a caller from St Paul's Bay. Matthew Vella
10:33 Matthew Vella
10:31 Here is President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca casting her vote.

 Matthew Vella
10:08 SHout spokeswoman Moira Delia interviewed by MaltaToday

 Matthew Vella
10:03 Tim Diacono, who is reporting from St Julian's, says Moira Delia said the atmosphere at the polling station is “calm and serene”. Matthew Vella
09:57 Here is SHout spokeswoman Moira Delia, the TV presenter and animal rights activist who decided to front this campaign, on her way to vote.

 Matthew Vella
09:56 The 50-metre rule: Spring Hunting Out campaigner Mina Tolu keeps herself well within the legal range for people who have already voted: 50 metres away from the polling station.


#movebackplease #50m #referendum #malta #pollingbooths by @mina_tolu Matthew Vella
09:40 Matthew Vella
09:40 The Times of Malta reports comments from the chief electoral commissioner Joe Church that the day of silence has become completely “ineffective” and needs to be revisited in the age of social media and web portals.
Church said he had received an e-mail from the hunting federation’s CEO Lino Farrugia claiming that voters were receiving telephone calls from a private number from people purporting to represent the FKNK, informing constituents to boycott the referendum. Matthew Vella
09:32 Reports coming in from Zabbar by elderly voters who have reported that a group of hunting enthusiasts outside the polling station exhorted them to vote ‘yes’ – something that is illegal. MaltaToday has already received reports from San Gwann, Gharghur and Zabbar. Matthew Vella
09:29 President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca snapped on her way to cast her vote.

 Matthew Vella
09:20 Norman Vella, who ran for MEP on the PN ticket, has uploaded a post to his blog saying that police are asking voters to hand in their mobile phones before going inside the voting booth. He noted a large amount of mobiles being kept on a window-sill in the polling station’s corridor. Voters are instructed not to take in their mobile phones as a precaution against voters who snap their voting document.

Link to Norman Vella’s blogpost Matthew Vella
09:08 All of Malta's referenda results collected in a neat infographic, complete with full results and electoral stats: CLICK HERE Matthew Vella
09:05 Alternattiva Demokratika chairperson Arnold Cassola will be voting in Pembroke at 11:30am. Matthew Vella
09:05 Opposition leader Simon Busuttil will be voting at 12:00, at Lija primary school. Matthew Vella
09:04 Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Mrs Michelle Muscat will cast their vote at 10:30am in Burmarrad. Matthew Vella
09:02 A promotional poster calling on voters to vote 'yes' has been affixed to a polling station in Siggiewi. Police have been notified. Matthew Vella
08:59 Matthew Vella
08:46 More calls coming in from voters reporting distribution of leaflets by pro-hunting lobbyists next to polling stations, this time in Gharghur. The propaganda leaflets show an X marked on the Yes box. Miriam Dalli
08:44 Follow Saviour Balzan’s videblog on today’s referendum. Miriam Dalli
08:32 Join us on Twitter using hashtags #springhunting and #kunsilli2015 Miriam Dalli
08:15 Looks like Malta’s spring hunting referendum has attracted the attention of international media, The Guardian and the BBC included.

Meanwhile, this newsroom is receiving reports of leaflets supporting spring hunting being distributed next to the polling stations. One such incident was reported in San Gwann and the police have reportedly been notified. Miriam Dalli

08:06 Here are MaltaToday's last polls carried out seven days ago

 Matthew Vella
07:50 Stay with us for the live-coverage of the day: Malta and Gozo are being asked to decide on whether they want to retain spring hunting or not; residents in 34 localities are also electing their local councils representatives.

In total there were 338,447 voters eligible for the referendum and 197,682 voters eligible for the local councils elections. While 16.8% of the local council election votes remained uncollected, only 6.2% (20,937) of the electorate did not collect their voting document for the referendum.

Polling stations opened at 7am and will stay open till 10pm. The referendum result will be known tomorrow while the sorting and counting of the voting documents submitted in the local councils elections will take place next Saturday. Miriam Dalli

07:21 94% of referendum voting documents collected by deadline
Over 10,000 people personally collect referendum votes since Saturday. 16.8% of local council election votes uncollected. Matthew Vella
19:15 Matthew Vella
19:05 Matthew Vella

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