The forthcoming general elections will be the 22nd since 1921, when Malta attained self-government. Turnout has always been high and has exceeded 95 percent since 1987.
The lowest turnout was in 1945 when only41.9 percent voted to elect members to the Council of Government. That was the first general election after the war. All men aged over 21 were given the right to vote as from that election. Before that, only those men who could read and write and had a certain income, could vote.
The PN and the Constitutional Party refused to participate in the1945 election for the Council of Government, insisting that Malta should first be given a new Constitution. The only parties to contest were the Labour Party and the Jones Party (which only stood on one district) with the Labour Party led by Paul Boffa winning some 76 percent of the votes. This was the election which saw Dom Mintoff stand for the first time and he was to become the longest serving MP, serving uninterruptedly until 1998 after successfully contesting 14 general elections and serving as Prime Minister for four terms .
Women won the right to stand and vote at elections in 1947 and Agatha Barbara became the first woman to be elected. She went on to be elected from 10 general elections and ended her political career as President.
Voting age was reduced to 18, for all men and women, from the 1976 election.
Malta had a bi-cameral system - a Legislative Assembly and a Senate - up to the second world war but no elections for the Senate were held after the war.
No political parties other than the PN and the MLP have managed to have candidates elected since the general election of 1962.
Malta's Prime Ministers since 1921 were the following (The gaps were periods when the Constitution was suspended and when Malta had direct colonial rule:
Joseph Howard (Unione Politica Maltese)1921-1923
Francesco Buhagiar (Unione Politica Maltese) 1923-1924
Ugo P.Mifsud (Unione Politica Maltese- PN) 1924-1927
Gerald Strickland (Constitutional Party) 1927-1930
Ugo P. Mifsud (PN) 1932-1933
Paul Boffa (MLP) 1947-1950
Nerik Mizzi (PN) 1950-1950
George Borg Olivier (PN) 1950-1951
George Borg Olivier (PN) 1951-1953
George Borg Olivier (PN) 1953-1954
Dom Mintoff (MLP) 1955-1958
George Borg Olivier (PN) 1962-1966
George Borg Olivier 1966-1971
Dom Mintoff (MLP) 1971-1976
Dom Mintoff (MLP) 1996-1981
Dom MIntoff (MLP) 1981-1984
Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici 1984-1987
Eddie Fenech Adami (PN) 1987-1992
Eddie Fenech Adami (PN) 1992-1996
Alfred Sant (MLP) 1996-1998
Eddie Fenech Adami (PN) 1998-2003
Eddie Fenech Adami (PN) 2003-2004
Lawrence Gonzi (PN) 2004-2008