How do you vote in the European elections?

In Italy, the European elections will take place on 8 and 9 June 2024, Saturday and Sunday. To vote you must be at least 18 years old. Italian citizens residing in another EU member state can choose to vote in their country of residence provided that certain conditions are met. Here's how to vote in the European elections.

When you vote

In the 27 member states the European elections will take place between 6 and 9 June. The polls in Italy will be open between 2pm and 10pm on Saturday 8th and from 7am to 11pm on Sunday 9th. In Italy, regional elections will also take place at the same time in Piedmont and administrative elections in 3,700 municipalities. The counting begins simultaneously at 11pm on Sunday 9 June.

Who is elected

We will go to the polls in 2024 to elect 76 members of the European Parliament.

How to vote

All member countries must use a proportional electoral system. The allocation of seats takes place in such a way as to ensure that the various lists have a number of places proportional to the votes received.

Preferences

Italy uses preferential voting, which gives voters the possibility of indicating, within the same list, from one to three preferences, voting, in the case of two or three preferences, for candidates of different genders.

What is written on the card

The rules provide that the preference is expressed by indicating only the surname or the first name and surname. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked that only her first name be written on the ballot. When filing the candidacy, Fratelli d'Italia explains, the prime minister will be referred to as “Giorgia Meloni known as Giorgia”. The “saying” used by candidates known by a nickname or diminutive would make the name valid. The fundamental point is that there must be conservation of the vote and if the will of the voter is certain the preference is attributed. However, jurists have raised doubts about its contestability.

Who are the candidates

Candidates for the European elections, presented in Italy, must be Italian citizens who must have turned 25 by the day set for the elections, or citizens of other member countries, resident in Italy and registered in the appropriate added lists. The symbols are those approved by May 1st. The lists of candidates must be signed by no less than 30,000 and no more than 35,000 voters of the constituency.

Barrier threshold

The lists must have obtained at least 4% of the valid votes cast at national level.

Constituencies

In Italy there are five European electoral constituencies that include several regions: North Western, North Eastern, Central, Southern, Insular. Each electoral constituency is assigned a number of seats based on the resident population.

Who can vote

In Italy you have the right to vote in European elections if:
you have reached your eighteenth birthday;
you are an Italian or European Union citizen with legal residence in Italy, or an Italian citizen residing abroad;
you are registered as a voter by the established deadline (for EU citizens voting in Italy).

Where you can vote

Italian citizens or citizens of a Member State who vote in Italy vote at the polling station in which they are registered. Special voting conditions are foreseen for hospital patients, voters suffering from infirmities that make it impossible to leave their home, prisoners, non-ambulatory voters in sections other than their own if this is not accessible. Military personnel, police forces, firefighters and sailors can vote in the municipality where they are located due to duty.

Italian citizens who vote in another EU member state and are registered withRegister of Italians residing abroad they can vote at the polling stations set up abroad by the Italian diplomatic-consular offices of the country in which you reside. An electoral certificate arrives at home. For EU citizens voting in Italy it is necessary to register in advance by sending the request to the Mayor of the municipality in which you reside, in order to be included in the added electoral list.

What documents must be brought to the polling station

You need an electoral card with still free spaces and a valid identification document.

How to vote from outside the office

In these European elections, for the first time, non-resident students will be able to vote remotely from the municipalities in which they live. It applies only to students, not to those who are away from home for work or health reasons. Male and female students have until May 5th to ask their municipality of residence to be able to vote away from home. The question, whose form is found on the Ministry website, can be presented personally, through a delegated person, via email or PEC to the email addresses indicated by the Municipality. The complete address of the temporary domicile and an e-mail address are required. A copy of a valid identification document, a copy of the electoral card, a copy of the certification or other documentation certifying enrollment at a university or training institution must be added.

There are two ways of exercising off-site voting: if the municipality of temporary domicile belongs to the same electoral district as the municipality of residence, non-resident students will be able to vote directly in the ordinary sections of the municipality of temporary domicile; if the municipality of temporary domicile belongs to an electoral constituency different from that to which the municipality of residence belongs, non-resident students will be able to vote in special sections established in the capital municipality of the region to which the municipality of temporary domicile belongs.

By 4 June 2024, the Municipality sends a certificate of admission to vote indicating the number and address of the section where to vote.