First votes cast in referendum

The divorce referendum campaign is already over for nearly 1,000 people who voted yesterday since they will be abroad on Saturday.

Voters turned up as early as 7 a.m. at the Mediterranean Conference Centre to cast their vote a full week ahead of the referendum.

Terence Sammut, 31, will be away for a wedding on Saturday, and his strong views against divorce encouraged him to make the extra effort to vote.

Likewise, Natalia Butyrina – who is separated – feels very strongly against divorce as “it won’t just give people a second chance, but a third, a fourth a fifth and have children from all of them”.

Helen Bottiglieri, 51, who will be in Scotland for work-related reasons, said she felt a strong sense of duty to vote, while Victor Aquilina, 35, believes the issue is a “very basic” one.

Voters could vote in one of the 13 booths divided according to district.

The voting continues on Friday, where close to 3,000 assistant commissioners and reserves who will be serving on referendum day will cast their vote.

Those who have not yet collected their voting document can do so from Monday to Wednesday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and on Thursday between 8 a.m. and midnight from the Electoral Commission, Evans Buildings, Merchants Street, Valletta, or from the Identity Card Office at 28A, St Francis Square, Victoria.

In cases where elderly and sick people are unable to be brought by a private car to collect their document, the commission will make an effort to deliver the document to their residence. Relatives of such voters should call the Electoral Office on 2558 3127 or 2558 3128. Votes cannot be cast without a voting document.