More than 20 per cent of voting documents for Saturday’s local elections remained undelivered, more than three times as many as previous polls in the same localities.

The Labour Party is hoping to overturn a Nationalist majority in St Paul’s Bay

Around 38,200 documents remained uncollected, figures obtained by The Sunday Times show. The list of uncollected votes appears more conspicuous in traditional Nationalist Party strongholds, with four of its fortresses registering the largest percentages.

St Paul’s Bay is the locality with the largest number of uncollected votes (48 per cent). The Labour Party is hoping to overturn a Nationalist majority in the village.

Sliema and St Julian’s residents also seem to be reluctant to take part in Saturday’s electoral test.

Sliema, which last went to the polls in 2009, endured a turbulent term with infighting between councillors which eventually led to the council’s dissolution. Here, around 40 per cent of the 14,798 issued voting documents remained uncollected and undelivered.

Żebbuġ in Gozo also saw 44 per cent of its 2,524 voting documents uncollected. This council also had its fair share of controversy, with criminal proceedings being instituted against the Nationalist mayor for allowing his daughter to use a laptop purchased by the council.

Those who have not yet collected their voting document can do so from the Electoral Commission’s Office in Evans Building, Valletta, from tomorrow to Thursday, March 8.

According to the October electoral register, on which the elections will be based, thereare 192,257 eligible voters in the 35 localities, including foreign nationals who are entitled to vote.