From Bonus Seats to Blocked Lists: Italy's Electoral Law Explained

Italy's electoral law is set for a significant overhaul following the center-right government's proposed reforms, which have already received approval from the Chamber of Deputies and are now heading to the Senate for deliberation.

The core of the reform introduces a majority bonus system designed to ensure governability. Coalitions that achieve at least 42% of the vote will be awarded a bonus of 70 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 35 seats in the Senate. This bonus is capped, ensuring the winning coalition does not exceed 220 seats in the Chamber and 113 in the Senate, excluding the 12 seats allocated to overseas constituencies.

Should no coalition reach the 42% threshold, or if the election results differ between the two chambers, the system reverts to a pure proportional representation model. The reform also mandates the use of blocked lists in multi-member constituencies, eliminating voter preference choices. Candidates listed for the majority bonus must also appear on the ballot in at least one multi-member constituency as the lead candidate.

Further changes include the mandatory declaration of a premier candidate and the party's program at the time of registering electoral symbols. Provisions have also been made to accommodate votes from Italians temporarily residing abroad, allowing them to vote in their place of domicile under certain conditions, provided they register within specified deadlines.