Senate approves amendment removing vote threshold for majority bonus calculation

The Senate gave the green light to an amendment to the electoral law, originally authored by Fratelli d'Italia senator Antonella Zedda and later revised, with 87 votes in favor. The change abolishes any minimum vote share that a list must achieve to be included in the total used for the majority bonus calculation. It also revises the signature collection rules for new political formations, increasing the required number of signatures while preserving exemptions for parties that already hold at least two parliamentary groups or have formed a group by the end of 2025, such as Italia Viva and Azione.

Parties with representation in at least one chamber retain the current signature range. Additionally, the amendment raises the territorial presence requirement for party lists from one-third to half of the constituencies. Overall, the Senate's vote introduces a substantial overhaul of entry conditions for new electoral lists and the method of counting votes for the majority bonus.