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centre of gravity from the old for- tified harbour towns to the more modern inner-south suburbs. In 2025, the Electoral Commission officially sliced off a major sector of Marsaskala—the Żonqor area— from District 3 and transferred it into District 2. This modification immediately injected just over 800 younger, suburban voters into the district map. Election results suggest that La- bour increased its support from 64% in 2003 to 71% in 2013 but afterwards, support for the party remained at the same level. More- over, between 2017 and 2022 the PL lost 1,111 votes while the PN lost 766 votes. This pushed the turnout down from 93% to 87%. One of the big questions in this election is whether Labour's dis- connect with some of its tradi- tional voters could be reflected in a further decline in turnout or in a small but highly symbolic shift to the PN or smaller parties. Labour is banking on strong candidatures to offset this trend. For the 30 May election, the Labour Party is fielding 16 candi- dates—the largest number in any district—anchored by Prime Min- ister Robert Abela whose name will be on the ballot. Two prom- inent ministers—Clyde Caruana and Byron Camilleri—will also have their names on the list. The Nationalist Party is fielding only four candidates including, veteran MP and family doctor Ste- phen Spiteri. ADPD, Momentum and Aħwa Maltin will field a can- didate each. DISTRICT 3: A TEST FOR LABOUR'S HOLD ON YOUNGER VOTERS The third district is mainly com- posed of mid-age and relatively younger localities, with the aver- age age varying from 40 in Mar- saskala to 43 in Żejtun. Over the past decade, the district has been one of the fastest-grow- ing urban hubs on the island. Unlike the ageing historical inner harbour districts nearby, locali- ties like Marsaskala, Għaxaq, and to some extent Marsaxlokk have attracted a much younger profile of first-time homebuyers. The growth of modern apartment blocks has led to a major influx of foreign workers, both EU citizens and third-country nationals. Żejtun anchors the district's tra- ditional core, preserving a stable, ageing population, even if this could be changing as developers increasingly eye new apartments in this locality. This has prompt- ed some backlash among Labour voters even if the party retains its appeal thanks to its social policies. Connectivity is also a major is- sue in Marsaskala, with some res- idents opposing the development of a quay to host the new ferry, de- spite government-commissioned surveys showing a majority agree- ing with the proposal. Since 2003, Marsaskala's rapid population explosion consist- ently pushed District 3 over its legal voter limit. To rebalance the map, the Electoral Commission completely detached Fgura, fully integrated Għaxaq, and recently severed Marsaskala's Żonqor sec- tor, transferring some 800 voters directly into neighbouring District 2. An analysis of past results shows Labour increasing its support from 62% in 2003 to 70% in 2017. However, the growth of third par- ties in 2022 (from 1% to 3%) penal- ised both major parties. Moreover, turnout in this dis- trict decreased from 92% in 2017 to 86% in 2022. The PL lost 378 votes between 2017 and 2022, while the PN lost 366. It remains to be seen whether political disen- gagement among younger voters will further push down turnout and which party will be most neg- atively impacted. In District 3, Labour is fielding 10 candidates, including two min- isters—Owen Bonnici and Chris Bonett—and two parliamentary secretaries—Andy Ellul and Alicia Bugeja Said—alongside three new faces. Former Deputy Prime Min- ister Chris Fearne, who is under- going criminal proceedings over the Vitals hospitals case is also a candidate. The Nationalist Party is fielding eight candidates, including new candidates, orthopaedic surgeon Ray Gatt and veterinarian Andrew Agius, while small parties register single, fresh contenders. 11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 MAY 2026 NEWS ELECTION 2026 Locality Average age Zejtun 43.4 Marsaskala (ex. Zonqor) 40.2 Ghaxaq 41.1 Marsaxlokk 42.3 District 3: Towns and age Note: The average age is that of Maltese residents only. Source: NSO Year PL PN Others Turnout 2003 62.2% 37.1% 0.7% 96.1% 2008 62.5% 35.7% 1.8% 93.8% 2013 68.5% 30% 1.5% 94.1% 2017 69.9% 29% 1.1% 91.9% 2022 69% 27.7% 3.3% 86.4% District 3: General election results Source: Electoral Commission reshaping Malta's districts internal and external migration are reshaping the country's electoral districts. Part 1: Districts 1, 2 and 3 Year PL PN Others Turnout 2003 63.5% 36% 0.5% 95.7% 2008 67.1% 31.9% 1% 93% 2013 71% 27.8% 1.2% 94.3% 2017 71.2% 27.8% 1% 93.3% 2022 71.2% 26.3% 2.5% 87.1% District 2: General election results Source: Electoral Commission 3.