The divorce referendum on Saturday is expected to cost about €4 million, including subsidies for cheap flights, according to the Chief Electoral Commissioner.

Saviour Gauci said that, based on expenses incurred in previous national elections and referenda, the Electoral Commission was not planning to exceed the €3 million mark in terms of costs related to the holding of the referendum itself.

The figure does not include money forked out by the government to subsidise Air Malta flights to voters residing abroad. This, based on previous polls, is expected to tot up to a further €1 million, bringing the total tally to about €4 million.

Mr Gauci would not give a minimum figure but said national elections always cost something in the region of €2.3 million. “It always used to cost €2.3 million, give and take, but you have to take current rates in mind. Yet, we’re still going to be prudent and careful because these are public funds,” Mr Galea stressed.

The money will come through supplementary estimates because the referendum had not been planned. In the case of local council and general elections, the Electoral Commission would have asked for the money to be budgeted if it knew they were being held.

“Say nothing extraordinary happens in the coming years, we’ll have to ask the Finance Ministry to plan for an election in 2013,” Mr Gauci explained.

Commissioner lists costs

The major cost, Mr Gauci said, was the material used, work and the transportation of the voting documents.

Costs include remuneration to the 3,500 assistant electoral commissioners and 400 police officers, transport expenses, the use of security equipment, utilities, rental of premises for 10 days, overtime of civil servants, upgrading of IT equipment and advertising.

He said that, through taxes, the government would still get back some of the money spent.

According to the government financial estimates, the 2009 MEP and local council elections cost about €3.8 million while the 2008 general election had cost €4 million.

The 2003 EU referendum and general election had cost €4.7 million. These figures included the government subsidies on Air Malta flights.

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