Three Nationalist Party candidates have submitted their nomination for the casual election to succeed Therese Comodini Cachia in the European Parliament.
They are Norman Vella, Ray Bugeja and Francis Zammit Dimech.
Dr Comodini Cachia reluctantly gave up her seat in the EP when she was elected to the Maltese parliament. She had initially opted to keep her EP seat and not take up her seat in the Maltese House of Representatives, but changed her mind after a public outcry.
Dr Comodini Cachia was the sixth and final candidate to be elected to the European Parliament, with 29,580 votes. The election was held in May 2014.
She was elected on the 28th count.
Dr Zammit Dimech, a long-time MP and former minister who failed to get elected in the last general election, was the last to be eliminated before her in the EP election, on the 26th count.
He appears to be favourite to win the seat, but no firm prediction can be made as the outcome depends on the preferences made in the ballots cast for Dr Commodini Cachia.
Mr Bugeja, a former contestant for the PN leadership, had been eliminated on the 24th count and could be in with a chance of winning the seat because of his alphabetical position on the ballot paper and the fact that people tend to give preferences from the top down.
Norman Vella had been eliminated on the 21st count.
The casual election will be held on July 18.