Kurt Sansone
Labour wants to fly ballot box to Cyprus
Have you ever thought of boarding an Air Malta plane and sitting beside a ballot box accompanied by at least five people?
Anyone flying to Cyprus in June may very well be regaled with the experience if the Labour Party's proposal to allow Maltese athletes participating in the Games for the Small States of Europe to vote goes through.
The party (PL) has suggested flying a ballot box to Cyprus in the morning of election day on June 6 and then bringing it back in the afternoon.
The solution was immediately shot down by the Nationalist Party, which described it as "mediocre" and "discriminatory" because voters in other countries would not have the same privilege.
The PL also suggested the box should be accompanied by officials from the Electoral Commission and representatives of the political parties.
It did not refer to the local council elections that will be held on the same day in 23 localities, which could mean that a second ballot box would have to accompany the first.
The Malta Olympic Committee had asked political parties and the Electoral Commission to find a solution so that about 120 athletes and officials taking part in the games will be able to vote in the European Parliament elections. The games start on June 1 and end on June 6, the same day the EP election will be held in Malta.
The PN said the PL proposal was discriminatory because it distinguished between different voters who would not be in Malta on election day.
The party pointed out that in January it had suggested the law be changed so that every voter with a valid reason for not being in Malta on June 6 would be able to vote a week before, on May 30.
"The Labour Party in principle had accepted this solution but, for reasons known only to itself, has decided to depart from this practical solution, which would have treated every voter in an equal manner," the PN said.
According to the electoral law, the only individuals who can vote on a different day other than election day are the assistant electoral commissioners (AECs).
The electoral law specifically mentions AECs as being able to vote just a day before polling day. Contrary to popular belief, members of the police force and soldiers do not vote a day before.
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Ramon Casha
Feb 20th 2009, 05:53
PN's proposal has a fatal flaw. While it may be good enough for the athletes on this particular occasion, what about other people who are abroad for more than 1 week? Many people are.
PL's proposal is somewhat better since it won't be affected by how long a person is in the country in question. How expensive this is depends on how much red tape is used - if you need to send a large delegation to every country it will be prohibitively expensive, but Malta's embassies and high commissions could take on the responsibility of accepting votes from people who are abroad at the time, sealing the boxes and sending these on the first available flight.
Another proposal is to allow voting by post. Voters who will be abroad at the time register their intent to vote by post and receive a specially marked ballot paper which they can send in by post from abroad in time to reach the electoral commission before voting ends.
A search for "absentee ballot" will provide lots of information about methods used elsewhere.
In practical terms of course, it's unlikely to make a big difference.
Alfred Cassar
Feb 19th 2009, 22:54
I would volunteer to go as an Assistant Commission with this Ballot Box
Andrew Gatt
Feb 19th 2009, 20:03
For pete's sake..........just change the law to enable Maltese who can prove they will be abroad on the day to vote before. Simple, cheap and a no-brainer.
c.camilleri
Feb 19th 2009, 16:29
What about other persons who away from Malta in connection with their jobs? Shall we also send them a plane to pick their votes?
Joseph Sciberras
Feb 19th 2009, 15:01
@P Debono
"PN and PL will both lose election"!!! I would watch out if I were you in making such predictions. Please post back after the election and we'll see how correct you were after the votes are counted. In the same spirit let me make a wild prediction too, AN won't get more than 3,000 votes.
J Micallef
Feb 19th 2009, 12:27
Apparently numerous MLP delegates have volunteerd to chain themselves to the ballot box, in ase the plane is hijacked by GonziPN apologists.
P Debono
Feb 19th 2009, 12:01
The "PL" is wasting its time in introducing these ridiculous measures because it, and the PN, both know that they will both lose the June elections.
Unless Parliament springs another surprise and does not let the AN candidates run for election...
apgech
Feb 19th 2009, 11:05
The most logical and cheapest way of handling this problem is by allowing early voting for those who have to leave the country for some reasons.
It is also safe because s/he shows his or her ID which will be registered.
a.camilleri
Feb 19th 2009, 11:03
what a waste of money, could be spent better!
apgech
Feb 19th 2009, 10:55
Hey, the PN flew so many Maltese from abroad to vote last March. This is a cheaper way than what the PN did.
Joseph Galea
Feb 19th 2009, 10:51
Why cannot the athletes vote before they leave? Advanced voting for citizens who will be away on voting day is quite common in many countries.
Al Buhagiar
Feb 19th 2009, 10:40
We are living in a digital age... why all this palava when a website can be easily be put up - secure and with the consensus of all, not both, parties.
This way not only our dear athletes in Cyprus - whose concentration & energy should be focused & directed towards their respective sport not the MEP elections - will have the right to vote but also those many hundreds, perhaps thousands, who happen to be away on election day.
I'm no computer geek, but surely, if we can have online shopping and banking, someone can come up with a safe & secure enough website to handle this matter! I'm thinking all it takes is a PIN Number, very much the same way online banking works!
E Zammit
Feb 19th 2009, 09:57
Well i guess there is no other choice if voting in embassy's won't be allowed !!
Maltese people who have the right to vote should be able to exercise their right
where ever they are... so why should we impede them from this ?!
Re costs... if the government / electoral commission usually pays for the maltese
living abroad to come here to vote I presume they add up to the same costs ...
I.Fava
Feb 19th 2009, 09:45
As usual from the PL--patetic proposals from a patetic party
Joseph Sciberras
Feb 19th 2009, 09:21
Is this the new progressive thinking that the PL is advocating? Spending all that money to send a ballot box to Cyprus when the athletes can vote a week earlier instead! Very logical and practical isn't it? Why don't the PL tell us why they don't agree with early ballots? Is it a too modern system for them?