Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil casts his vote at Lija Primary School.

Malta voted in a historic referendum yesterday to determine the fate of spring hunting, while local council elections were held in 34 districts.

The 15-hour voting process throughout the day was relatively straightforward bar a few reported incidents in some areas which required police intervention.

President Marie-Louise Colerio Preca voted at Lija Primary School, while Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition leader Simon Busuttil – who both said they would be voting in favour of retaining spring hunting – cast their ballot in Burmarrad and Lija, respectively.

Despite the so-called day of reflection on polling day, there were several reports yesterday of attempts to convince voters, especially with regard to the elderly and vulnerable.

The Sunday Times of Malta received a report from a man who was visiting his parents in St Paul’s Bay who said that while he was there someone claiming to be from the Labour Party called “reminding” his parents to vote Yes.

Shout said some people were also talking to elderly people and instructing them on casting their ballot

The Sunday Times of Malta newsroom also received reports that pro-hunting campaigners as well as Labour Party officials were urging voters to vote Yes and handing out leaflets in localities like San Ġwann, Qormi, Żabbar, Fgura and Għargħur.

The police approached the campaigners in some of the localities and requested them to stop.

The police said since it was illegal to campaign on election day further action was not ruled out. Sample ballot papers with Yes crossed on them were seen on the ground around some voting centres.

A specimen ballot paper marked Yes not far from a polling booth in Qormi. Photos: Chris Sant Fournier

In a statement, the anti-hunting lobby, Shout, said individuals were distributing sample ballot sheets urging voters to vote Yes in Żabbar, Għargħur, Siġġiewi, Iklin, Santa Venera, San Ġwann, Qormi and Sliema. It said some people were also talking to elderly people and instructing them how to cast their ballot.

Shout said the Police Commissioner and the Chief Electoral Commissioner had been informed of these cases.

Several people said on social media that they had been asked to hand in their mobile phones before going into the polling booth. People did not generally have to wait long to cast their vote and several polling stations were quiet, especially in the afternoon.

The turnout by 2pm was 34 per cent, the same provisional turnout figure for the 2011 divorce referendum. A 31 per cent turnout for the local council elections by 2pm was slightly higher than the 28 per cent turnout by 1pm in March 2012, the last time a round of council election was held in the same areas.