At stake in this Referendum:

• Under current rules, the apparentement (pre-election coalition) winning a plurality of votes automatically wins a majority of seats. (Nationally in the Chamber and regionally in the Senate; see electoral system details.) This referendum concerns three questions: whether the majority of seats in the Chamber should go to the plurality party instead of the plurality apparentement; whether the majority of Senate seats in each region should go to the plurality party instead of the plurality apparentement; and whether multiple candidacy should be outlawed.

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Giorgio NAPOLITANO
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Silvio BERLUSCONI
• Assembly: Italy has a bicameral Parliament (Parlamento) consisting of the Senate (Senato della Repubblica) with 322 seats* and the Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati) with 630 seats**.

* Lists are closed. Thresholds apply at the regional level, and seats are allocated regionally. The thresholds are: 20% for any pre-election coalition, 3% for any party within a coalition, and 8% for any party not in coalition. Within a coalition, seats are allocated to parties in proportion to their vote shares.

** Lists are closed. Once national thresholds are met, seats are allocated to parties on a regional basis. The thresholds are: 10% for any pre-election coalition, 2% for any party within a pre-election coalition, and 4% for any party not in coalition. The pre-election coalition winning a plurality of votes is guaranteed 340 seats. Within a coalition, seats are allocated to parties in proportion to their vote shares.

Main provisions in the Referendum:

• Should the majority of seats in the Chamber go to the plurality party instead of the plurality apparentement?
• Should the majority of Senate seats in each region go to the plurality party instead of the plurality apparentement?
• Should multiple candidacies be outlawed?

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 58,126,212 (July 2009 est.)
• Registered Voters: 47,196,282 (June 2009 )

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 59,095,365 (2009)
• Registered Voters: 47,126,326 (2008)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 30,390,734 (2009)

·         Is Italy a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Italy ratified CEDAW: Yes (10 June 1985)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: N/A

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 134 (Chamber of Deputies); 58 (Senate) (following the 2008 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 27 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Italy a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Italy ratified CRPD: Yes (15 May 2009)

·         Population with a disability: 8,864,304 (est.)