Italy adopts new proportional system with a 42% majority bonus and limited preferences

Italy's electoral law has been overhauled, abolishing single-member constituencies in favor of a proportional system with a built-in majority prize. The prize awards 70 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 35 in the Senate to any list or coalition that secures at least 42% of the vote in both houses; otherwise, a pure proportional allocation applies. The Senate amendment permits voters to mark up to three preferences, but only from the second candidate onward on a six-person list, while the top candidates (capolista) remain locked and gender-alternation rules apply only when multiple preferences are expressed.

The reform also expands voting rights for residents abroad and family caregivers, requires parties to name a premier candidate in their program (though the name will not appear on ballots), and raises the signature requirement for non-parliamentary parties, while exempting those with parliamentary groups formed by the end of 2025. These measures aim to balance proportional representation with governmental stability.