Electoral law, secret voting begins in the Chamber of Deputies

The general discussion on the electoral law reform has begun in the Chamber of Deputies, where the measure is in its third reading. Around thirty parliamentarians have registered to speak, with interventions expected to last 4-5 hours.

Tomorrow, late morning, after the packaging decree, the vote on the constitutional objections raised by the opposition is scheduled. This vote will be unified and, if requested, by secret ballot. The final vote on the text, also by secret ballot, is scheduled between October 7 and 8.

Attention is high for the secret votes, after in mid-July, during the first passage of the bill, an estimated thirty snipers within the center-right contributed to sink the amendment on preferences, which have now been reintroduced into the text.

The electoral reform under discussion modifies the rules for electing Italian parliamentarians. The process is long and complex: the text, after being approved by the Chamber, was amended by the Senate and now returns to Montecitorio for the third and decisive reading, where it must be voted on identically by both Houses to become law.

The most controversial point is the introduction of preferences, which would allow voters to choose individual candidates within party lists. This mechanism was rejected by the Chamber in July, but the Senate reinstated it. The government has announced that it will call a confidence vote on fundamental parts of the text, thus linking its survival to the approval of the reform.

The secret ballot, scheduled for tomorrow on preliminary issues and in early October for the final text, is a procedure that guarantees the anonymity of individual deputies' votes. This makes it difficult for parties to control the votes of their members and opens the door to so-called 'snipers,' parliamentarians who vote against the directives of their group. The situation creates uncertainty about the outcome and, consequently, about the stability of the executive.