Times Talk: The secret life of your ballot

Times Talk: The secret life of your ballot

The country's going to the polls in less than 48 hours, and this latest episode of Times Talk is an essential guide for the perplexed. It breaks down the mechanics of Malta’s electoral system - one of the most democratic, yet complex, in the world. Our speakers trace where your vote will go from the moment you slide it in the ballot box on Saturday till all MPs are elected next week. But the episode also uncovers the lid on a second election at play – an often overlooked, but perhaps more heated – battle between candidates of the same parties within districts.

Times Talk - Are election polls lying to us?

With just over a week remaining before Maltese voters head to the polls to choose Malta's next prime minister, the latest episode of Times Talk delves into the science and controversy behind political polling, as current surveys continue to indicate a significant lead for the Labour Party. Times of Malta fact-checker Neville Borg and Esprimi CEO Morgan Parnis joined the podcast. Borg gives an overview of what the polls are showing while Parnis explains the results and why some polls differ from others, even when they are carried out during the same period. If you have questions about the polls, this episode will attempt to answer as many of them as possible.

Times Talk - Entitled voters, shackled leaders

It is very worrying the the election campaign has, so far, almost entirely revolved around 'what's in it for me', according to political analysts Lou Bondi and Michelle Attard Tonna. The two were speaking on the latest episode of Times Talk Campaign Watch during which they dissected the third week of the election campaign. The lavish promises are creating a sense of entitlement in people while making it very hard for the next prime minister - whoever it may be - to lead effectively in a very volatile global climate, they warned. Even worse, there are several issues no party seems to be addressing during the campaign. Watch the episode on Times of Malta, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Times Talk - The elephants in Malta’s election room

The second week of Malta’s 2026 general election campaign sparked its first controversies. As Labour leader Robert Abela and Nationalist Party leader Alex Borg make their political pitches, mainly through cash bonanzas, are the country’s (medium-to-long term) problems being ignored? In this episode of Times Talk, Times of Malta editor-in-chief Herman Grech sits down with former Labour deputy leader and president Daniel Micallef and former PN chief of staff Ray Bezzina to dissect the campaign narratives, the long-term economic impact of today’s pledges, the racism directed at Omar Rababah, and the growing debate over overdevelopment. It was a candid discussion on the issues shaping Malta’s election, and the ones politicians may prefer to avoid.

Times Talk - Power, underdogs, and a supermarket of promises

Prime Minister Robert Abela has called an early general election for May 30.The campaign’s opening days have already seen a wave of pledges and voter-focused measures, as the main parties begin to draw their battle lines. With the Labour government firmly in the driving seat and making full use of its incumbency advantage, the question remains: can the Nationalist Party, led by a relatively new leader, close the gap and defy the opinion polls? In the first political Times Talk podcast of the campaign, Herman Grech, editor-in-chief of Times of Malta, sits down with Kurt Sansone, executive editor of MaltaToday, and sociologist Michael Briguglio to discuss Election 2026.