Greens say Maltapost preventing voters from enrolling on electoral register

Updated with Electoral Commission reaction

Maltapost is conditioning the registration of voters in Malta for next European elections, the Green Party said today.

Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson Arnold Cassola said voters, including Non-Maltese EU nationals, "should be able to send their applications by post, and without paying any postage to the Electoral Commission offices in Malta and Gozo." 

Citing the General Elections Act, the Greens said the law stipulates that all applications regarding the registration, cancellation, correction or transfer of a voter "may either be delivered to the Electoral Office or to the Local Council office wherein the voter resides or to any police officer in any police station in Malta or Gozo, or forwarded to the Commission free of any charge for posting."

However, Cassola said that Maltapost officials have confirmed with interested parties that they have not delivered the said applications.

Describing the situation as "unacceptable," Cassola said that when asked to explain the situation, a Maltapost official replied: 'I apologize for my late reply. Please note that our Legal Office is still awaiting a written reply from the Maltese Electoral Commission. A soon as feedback is available we will contact you back.'

Cassola added that "Maltapost have no right to prevent eligible EU citizens from enrolling to vote in the Maltese electoral register. All applications must be delivered immediately and before the closing date of the 29 March. In the meantime, we are informing the representative of the European Parliament office in Malta of the behaviour of Maltapost."

REACTION

In a reaction, the Electoral Commission said that an arrangement with Maltapost plc was reached earlier this month whereby electoral application forms continue to be accepted and delivered by Maltapost plc to the Electoral Commission, free of postal charges to the sender.  In fact, such charges are being incurred by the Electoral Commission.

However in reply to the commission's reaction, Cassola insisted that despite the commission’s statement that it had reached an agreement with Maltapost to have application forms delivered for free, “Maltapost has today reconfirmed that it is not delivering these applications to the Electoral Commission.”

Cassola said that in an email to interested parties, a Maltapost official wrote: 'Kindly note that  the Chief Electoral Commissoner informed us that the postage is free when using the Business Reply Service. Private envelopes are charged with local rates.'

He added that “the Electoral Commission has not printed and distributed any envelopes for Business Reply Service. What is Maltapost's interest in hindering the registration of legitimate voters on the electoral list by 29 March? We are again informing the EP representative in Malta of Maltapost's obstacles towards the registration of citizens on the electoral list."