The letter is available on:

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130517/letters/Absentee-ballot-systems.470050

I’m obviously happy to send you a full draft if you’d like. (Matthew has been of great help in finessing our arguments).

What would these stay-at-home voters do if the Electoral Commission withdraws their right to vote?

Mela skond Privitera it-tifla ta’ Varist, Kevin u Sharon EB m’ghandomx dritt jivvutaw.

Lejn il-Kanada u L-Awstralja l-emigranti baqghu imorru anki fi zmien Mintoff – m’hemmx ghalfej nghidlek li kienu Nazzjonalisti.

While PL may need to revise its rigid position somewhat, the PN’s argument that liberalising eligibility means strenghtening democracy is a fallacy. I think the Italians have a different list of candidates for Italians living abroad, and that is how Cassola got elected.

If eligibility is to be opened, a study need to be made, taking into considerations residency, work, study, property, consular services, duration etc., but surely not granting every citizen of Malta living abroad the right to vote. That is not democracy.

About the method, I am very sceptical about just electronic voting. Every vote has to be officially recorded, on paper. Many other modern countries require the vote to be sent by post. If done correctly, that may be very acceptable.

Malta’s population is small, and it has a sizeable population with official citizenship living abroad which is large compared to the resident population. When considering widening eligibility and the method of voting, one has to be careful about two things. Abuse, and unnecessary skewing by ‘overseas’ voting. Citizenship and interest alone, are not enough.

bystander: The law can be an ass.

Eddy, I emigrated, yet I still pay taxes in Malta on income derived from real estate and other investments, in line with the double-taxation agreement between Malta and the country where I now live.

I am also a Maltese citizen and national, and have yet no voting rights in my country of residence.

Why on earth would you want to take away my vote?

If I ever had any doubt who to vote for, people like you remind me exactly why I should never vote for Labour.

I work for an EU agency, live most of my time away from Malta, but still own a house in Malta and spend more or less a couple of months every year in Malta.

I might not pay income tax here (today is my last day of an extended holiday), but I pay for utilities and I contribute to the economy by buying local and eating out and obviously pay VAT and other fees/taxes.

My children speak Maltese and might eventually join the University of Malta. I also don’t rule out working in Malta in the future. My wife is on parental leave from her Maltese job.

We are not temporarily abroad, but obviously have a strong interest in how Malta develops. So according to Eddy says we shouldn’t have a vote?

Eddy kemm ilkhom ma tohorgu jssawtu n-Nazzjonalisti?

@ La Redoute
Ashamed is a tad too far, however I do apologise.