The administrative council elections to be held on Saturday will usher in a new way of counting votes as this will take place at the polling stations themselves instead of in a central counting hall.

To date, no vote counting has ever taken place in polling stations; ballot boxes are normally transferred to central locations.

In another first, these elections will do away with voting documents, with electors being required to simply show their ID card at the polling station.

The elections will be held in the small localities of Kappara, Paceville, Madliena, Fleur-de-Lys, Bubaqra, Marsalforn and Xlendi. Their administrative councils will all fall under their respective local councils. Another six such elections will follow suit later in the year.

Fifty-three candidates have been nominated for Saturday's elections, with five seats up for grabs in each place. Some 8,200 residents are eligible to vote.

There will be one polling station in each locality with voting running between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Counting will start as soon as the polls close.