European election ballot sheet will be the longest so far

The ballot sheet for the forthcoming European Parliament election is set to be the longest so far after a record 41 candidates submitted their nomination.

The number of candidates surpassed the previous record of 34 recorded in the 2009 EP election.

Malta elects six MEPs on 25 May in the fourth election of its kind since the island joined the EU in 2004.

The proportion of women candidates has not changed much over the years.

Nine female candidates will have their name on the ballot sheet (22%) this year, three points less than 2014 when a quarter of candidates were women.

There is one candidate who identifies themselves as non-binary, which would bring up the proportion of non-male candidates to 24%.

The Labour Party has 14 candidates, five of which are women. Incumbents Miriam Dalli and Alfred Sant are seeking re-election but Marlene Mizzi has called it a day.

The Nationalist Party has 10 candidates, two of which are female. Incumbents Roberta Metsola, David Casa and Francis Zammit Dimech will seek re-election.

The Democratic Party is fielding four candidates, including its leader Godfrey Farrugia and Alternattiva Demokratika has two candidates, including chairperson Carmel Cacopardo.

Conservative outfit Alleanza Bidla is fielding two candidates. Likewise, the right-wing Patriots Movement is fielding two candidates.

Norman Lowell, founder of Imperium Europa, is the sole candidate for his party, while entrepreneur Antoine Borg is the sole candidate of his ‘party’ called Brain Not Ego.

The ballot sheet will also list five independent candidates that include former AD chairperson Arnold Cassola and serial contender Nazzareno Bonnici, known as Tal-Ajkla.

There are 371,625 people eligible to vote in the European Parliament election and this includes EU nationals registered to vote in Malta.

This will be the first time that people aged 16 will be allowed to vote in the EP election.

*Includes a candidate that identified themselves as non-binary