At stake in this Referendum:

• A referendum on four questions, which include privatizing water distribution, returning to nuclear power and whether the prime minister should enjoy immunity from prosecution while in office.

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**.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by an electoral college to serve a 7-year term.
• The Prime Minister is appointed by the president with the approval of the parliament.
• In the Senate (Senato della Repubblica), 315 members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system to serve 5-year terms, 5 members are elected by the President and 2 members are filled ex officio*. In the Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati) 630 members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system to serve 5-year terms.**

* 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:

• Procedures for the awarding and management of local public services of economic importance. Repeal? A provision to repeal the rules that currently allow the management of local public services to be entrusted to the private sector.
  Modalità di affidamento e gestione dei servizi pubblici locali di rilevanza economica. Abrogazione?
• Determination of the water service tariff based on an adequate return on invested capital. Partial repeal of regulations? A provision to repeal the regulations governing the determination of tariffs for the supply of water, the amount of which currently provides for a return on capital invested by the operator.
  Determinazione della tariffa del servizio idrico integrato in base all'adeguata remunerazione del capitale investito. Abrogazione parziale di norma
• Repeal of Sections 1 and 8 of Article 5 of Decree Number 34 of March 31st 2011, made (with amendments) into law on May 26th 2011, Decree Number 75: Partial repeal of regulations? A provision to repeal new regulations allowing for the production of nuclear power within the territory.
  brogazione delle nuove norme che consentono la produzione nel territorio nazionale di energia elettrica nucleare.
• Repeal of Provisions of Law Number 51 of April 7th, 2010, on legitimate impediment of the Prime Minister and Ministers to appear in criminal court, in accordance with sentence number 23 of 2011 by the Constitutional Court. Repeal? A provision to repeal othe regulations of legitimate impediment of the President of the Council of Ministers and the Ministers to appear in a criminal court, in accordance with sentence number 23 of 2011 by the Constitutional Court.
  Abrogazione di norme della legge 7 aprile 2010, n. 51, in materia di legittimo impedimento del Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri e dei Ministri a comparire in udienza penale, quale risultante a seguito della sentenza n. 23 del 2011 della Corte Costituzionale

Electoral Requirements

• An absolute majority of eligible voters must turn out in order for the referendum to be binding.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 59,379,449 (2011)
• Registered Voters: 50,594,868 (June 2011 )

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 30,544,779 (2011)

·         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: 8,906,917 (est.)