What is the Electoral law in force in Italy? This is one of the most common doubts when it comes to elections scheduled for 25 September 2022. The simple answer is only one: the Rosatellum, the same law with which we voted in 2018 (although, compared to four years ago, corrections have been introduced due to the constitutional reform that has halved the number of MPs). Less simple, unfortunately, is the explanation of how Rosatellum works. Here is a diagram with the most important points.
Rosatellum: an explanation in brief
In summary, it is a mixed electoral law: one third of the seats in both the House and the Senate are filled with the majority system, while the other two-thirds with the proportional system through a mechanism of blocked price lists.
Who made the current electoral law?
The Rosatellum takes its name from its creator, Pd deputy Ettore Rosato, but in addition to the Pd, the electoral law with which we will also vote on September 25 was approved in Parliament by Forza Italia and the League as well as by minor groups.
What does majority system mean?
Il majority system applies in single-member colleges and it works like this: in every single constituency, coalitions and loose lists compete against each other (each with only one candidate) and whoever gets to first place, even with a single vote difference, wins the seat up for grabs. This system is called "dry uninominal” and is the reason why with Rosatellum the coalitions they matter: the more votes you muster in individual constituencies, the more single-member seats you can hope to take home.
What does proportional system mean?
The proportional system, on the other hand, is a different principle: with this system, in fact, the seats are distributed among the parties in proportion the votes obtained by each list commitment. In this case, therefore, coalitions do not count.
What are blacklists?
For the seats assigned with the proportional system, therefore, the parties do not present a single candidate (as in the single-member constituencies of the majority), but a series of candidates, listed in a blocked list. But why does she say she is "stuck"? Simple: why voters cannot express preferences, that is, they cannot choose who to send to Parliament. It is the party leaders who make the lists, who decide not only the names, but also their order in the list. Obviously, whoever is number one is more likely to be elected than number two, and so on.
What is the majority premium for?
This question is also very common in relation to the 2022 electoral law, but it is the result of a misunderstanding: the Rosatellum does not provide for any majority bonus, which instead was one of the hallmarks of the electoral system outlined by the old one Calderoli law (better known as “Porcellum”).
What is the barrier threshold for?
Le barrier thresholds, on the other hand, are also provided for by the Rosatellum and, obviously, concern only the part of the seats assigned with the proportional system.
Basically, there are two barriers: 3% for individual lists e 10% for coalitions. Anyone who stays below these thresholds does not enter Parliament.
However, the parties that are part of a coalition and get between 1 and 3% give their votes, proportionally, to the other lists of the same coalition that have exceeded 3%. The votes of the lists that remain under 1%, on the other hand, are always and in any case lost.
How do you vote with separate voting?
Another misunderstanding: with Rosatellum you can not make the split votei.e. it is not possible to choose a single-member candidate who is not connected to the list chosen in the proportional system. Penalty, the nullity of the vote.
