Only 22,7% of Italians voted on the first day of the referendum proposing to reduce the minimum residency period for Italian citizenship applications by naturalization from 10 to 5 years. Voting, which began on Sunday the 8th, continues until Monday the 9th, closing at 15 pm (local time).
The referendum requires a quorum of over 50% for the result to be legally valid. If this number is not reached, the votes, even if they are a majority, will be disregarded.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, the regions with the highest turnout were Toscana (29,98%) and Emilia-Romagna (28,86%). Trentino Alto Adige (16,13%), Calabria (16,22%) and Sicily (16,32%) recorded the lowest shares.
In addition to the proposal on citizenship, four other referendums were held, all related to labor legislation. The national average turnout in these was also around 22,7%.
The expectation is that the final participation rate will reach a maximum of 35%, according to estimates from the Italian press.
Since 1974, only 39 of the 77 referendums held in Italy have reached a quorum. In the last 30 years, only four have achieved validation.
Political analysts attribute the low turnout to the stance of the government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which advised the population not to vote. The right-wing coalition considers the issues “dangerous” and proposed a boycott as a strategy.
“I do not agree with the content of the referendums, and as has always happened in the country's history, when you do not agree, abstention is also an option,” said Meloni, who was at his polling station but refused to vote.
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