Elections in Malta
Encyclopedia
Malta elects on a national level the executive -(in essence, the political party the leader of which becomes Prime Minister, responsible for appointing the Ministers from among elected Members), legislature
and 6 MEPs
representing Malta in the European Parliament.
The House of Representatives
(Kamra tad-Deputati) has 65 members, elected for a five year term in 13 5-seat constituencies with a possibility of rewarding bonus members for the popular largest party which doesn't succeed in getting absolute majority in parliament.
The president is elected for a five year term by the parliament.
Malta uses single transferable vote
to elect its MP/MEP and local councilors. Even though transferable preferences should help third parties since independence the Maltese electorate has consistently voted in two dominant political parties
and effectively created a two party system
.
Malta has the highest non-compulsory General Election voting turnout in the world. It has the 2nd highest overall voting turnout in the world - Australia being the most country in which the people turn out to vote due to compulsory voting procedures.
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
and 6 MEPs
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
representing Malta in the European Parliament.
The House of Representatives
House of Representatives of Malta
The House of Representatives is the unicameral legislature of Malta and a component of the Parliament of Malta.The House is composed of an odd number of members elected for a five year term...
(Kamra tad-Deputati) has 65 members, elected for a five year term in 13 5-seat constituencies with a possibility of rewarding bonus members for the popular largest party which doesn't succeed in getting absolute majority in parliament.
The president is elected for a five year term by the parliament.
Malta uses single transferable vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
to elect its MP/MEP and local councilors. Even though transferable preferences should help third parties since independence the Maltese electorate has consistently voted in two dominant political parties
Political Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
and effectively created a two party system
Party system
A party system is a concept in comparative political science concerning the system of government by political parties in a democratic country. The idea is that political parties have basic similarities: they control the government, have a stable base of mass popular support, and create internal...
.
Malta has the highest non-compulsory General Election voting turnout in the world. It has the 2nd highest overall voting turnout in the world - Australia being the most country in which the people turn out to vote due to compulsory voting procedures.