I voted

As I became a dual citizen on 1st February, I am now able to vote in all Italian related elections, along with the general elections and referendums in the UK (but only for the next 3 years as once I have lived outside the UK for 15 years I can no longer vote).

Today I voted in Italy's 'snap' general election, which was called as a result of the collapse of government in July. Read the clearest explanation I've read in English about the election here. Italian politics is known for being complicated and that is because...it is!

This election is a bit different because the number of seats in the Chamber of Deputies (effectively MPs) and the Senate have been reduced, to nicer, more rounded numbers of 400 MPs, from 630, and 200 senators, previously 315, after the 2020 referendum. This means there is a bit of a scramble amongst politicians as many people that were previously earning nice salaries will ultimately lose their seats as a result. It is all very interesting.

Then, the voting forms are enormous, one pink and one orange. They are divided into categories named with the people running as the representative of a single party or coalition, then subcategories of single parties with four more representatives. You put a cross on either the top name or on a badge, or both in the same section. I still haven't completely understood how the seats are then divided but I do know that some seats are allocated on a 'first-past-the-post' while the rest are done by proportion. There are also percentages that need to be reached by parties which vary according to whether you have entered as a single party or a coalition.

I was surprised by three things: firstly polling stations are open from 7am to 11pm and I went to mine, at the primary school, at around 9am, I imagine a peak time as it is just before or after people breakfast, and I was met by orderly queues, for each of the eight sections of my area. Queues! The Italian society has definitely improved in how to queue since I moved here over 11 years ago!

Secondly, voting is done according to sex, a man registers women, and a woman registers men, so there are effectively two queues for each section. My section was like standing in line for the toilet at a concert, lots of women waiting while moaning about how they can't use the men's! Other sections however were the other way round.

Thirdly, your voting papers are registered to you, this was not an anonymous vote. The numbers of your papers are called out before you put them into the box so the person who registered you initials that they have been put in. If someone really wanted to, they can track who voted for them by going through all the numbered forms and track them back. Granted, as everything is written by hand it would take a while, but it is definitely possible.

Polls say we are heading towards the first ever female leader with a far-right majority government...only time will tell.