Referendum decree: polling stations open two days, changes in remuneration for tellers

In 2022, elections were instead held according to the ordinary rules on a single day: 12 June for local elections and 25 September for parliamentary elections. For the election rounds of the following years, on the other hand, the derogatory regulations were reintroduced on a transitional basis. In particular, Decree-Law No. 190 of 12 December 2022 provided that the elections and referendums of 2023 would be held not only on Sunday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., but also on Monday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Decree-Law No. 7 of 29 January 2024 similarly extended the voting operations for the 2024 elections to Monday

In view of the extension of voting operations, Article 1(2) provides for an increase of 15% in the fixed fees for polling station members, without prejudice to the increases already provided for in the case of the simultaneous holding of several polls.

On the financial level, Paragraph 5 quantifies the higher charges resulting from the implementation of the decree in €6.1 million for 2026, mainly related to the fees of the members of the polling stations. Coverage is ensured by reducing the special current account fund entered in the 2025-2027 three-year budget of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Surveillance costs entrusted to the police force are excluded from the calculation.

The decree also intervenes on the coordination of procedures in the case ofcombination of referendum and by-elections. Paragraph 3 establishes that, for the common fulfilments, the rules laid down for by-elections apply, including those concerning the composition and functioning of the sectional electoral offices. As for the ballot, a precise sequence is established: first the referendum, then - without interruption - the by-elections. Similar rules are laid down in paragraph 4 in the case of the simultaneous holding of by-elections and local elections, with priority given to the counting of by-elections; for constituency elections, the counting is postponed to 9 a.m. on Tuesday.

In the course of parliamentary scrutiny, Article 1-bis was also inserted, which introduces a derogation to the Consolidated Text of Local Authorities for municipalities with up to 15,000 inhabitants. For 2026, in cases where only one list has been admitted, the election of the mayor and municipal council will be valid if the list has obtained at least 50 per cent of the valid votes and if the turnout has reached 40 per cent of the registered voters, instead of the usual 50 per cent.