Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1122280
YOUR FIRST READ AND CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT maltatoday €1.95 2 today INSIDE MT2 maltatoday Q and A Stephen Oliver This Week Scottish playwright Erin Carter Film Loro 2 The all new pull-out section INSIDE • LISTINGS • TV • LAW • CLASSIFIEDS today today SUNDAY • 26 MAY • ISSUE 1020 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY Stage actor and director Stephen Oliver 2 Crazy about Mayor Pete Checking on the 'Boot-edge-edge' fever in the Democratic race for US president nominee PAGE 12-13 Intolerant lactose Raphael Vassallo on 'milkshaking' political adversaries 24 MATTHEW DRAKE Bringing the doctors out for the pro-choice stand on abortion INTERVIEW 16-17 VOTERS in Malta and Gozo yes- terday joined millions across the EU to elect their own members of the European Parliament. By the time of going to print the Electoral Commission had not yet released the turnout figures, but initial indications showed that the turnout was similar to that of 2014. In 2014, the turn- out for the Euro- pean election stood at 74.8%, while in 2009 voter turnout for the EP election was 78.8%. In the 2014 elec- tion, the Labour Party received 53.4% of all votes, a 13.4-point ad- vantage over the PN that received 40% of all votes. The turnout at 2pm for the EP election was 32%. The official com- munication from the Electoral Commission was disseminated very late, just after 7pm. The turnout for local council elections at 2pm was 27.6%. The counting process for local coun- cils will not take place today but on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. In the last European election, the PL and PN won three seats each after a close run for the final seat. Turnout steady as voters elect MEPs and local councillors Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia (left) cast his vote early at 9am yesterday, with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat voting at 10am (right) DAVID HUDSON OVER €80,000 were spent on taking out Facebook and Insta- gram adverts in the past three months by Maltese political parties and candidates in the European elections. The data emerges from Face- book transparency information provided with adverts taken out by paying entities. The data shows that Nation- alist Party candidates and the party spent a total of €49,824 on Facebook ads for its MEP elec- toral campaign since 1 March, while the Labour Party and its representatives spent a total of €24,446. The latter's total does not in- clude the ads paid for by the Partit Laburista page as aggre- gate data for this page hasn't yet been compiled by Facebook. Between them, the two ma- jor parties spent €74,270. Social media election: parties and candidates spend over €80,000 on Facebook Candidates spend 'big' on social media jor parties spent PAGE 4 EARLY RISER? Follow us LIVE on Facebook for election results PAGE 3