Basilicata 2024 Elections: How to Vote? Sample Ballot and Electoral Law

How to Vote in the Basilicata Regional Elections 2024

The upcoming Basilicata regional elections in 2024 are a hot topic that involves nearly 450,000 citizens who will be called to elect the Regional President and members of the Regional Council on April 21 and 22.

The Candidates and Voting Process

There are three candidates running in the Basilicata 2024 regional elections: the incumbent center-right President Vito Bardi, supported by Azione and Italia Viva; Piero Marrese representing the center-left coalition including the 5 Star Movement; and Eustachio Follia from Volt.

Voters will find the ballot papers displaying the order of the presidential candidates and the supporting party lists.
The winning candidate needs to secure even just one more vote than their opponents to become the new president.

Polling stations in Basilicata will be open from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM on Sunday, April 21, and from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Monday, April 22.
The vote counting process, by law, should not exceed 12 hours.

Voting Rules and Legislative Framework

Each voter will receive a single ballot paper containing the names of the presidential candidates and the symbols of the affiliated regional lists.
Voters can cast a vote for a presidential candidate, a regional list, and up to two preference votes.
The second preference vote must be for a candidate of the opposite gender to the first choice, or it will be invalidated.

It’s important to remember that split voting is not allowed.
Voters must show up at their designated polling station with their voter’s card and a valid form of identification to cast their vote.

Electoral Law in Basilicata

The Basilicata region will operate under the same electoral law as in 2019, with the division of seats between the two districts: Matera (7 seats) and Potenza (13 seats).
Notable changes include gender parity with double preference, the abolition of closed lists, and the elimination of split voting.

The proportional voting system includes different threshold levels:
– 3% for unaffiliated lists
– No threshold for coalition lists exceeding 8%; otherwise, a minimum of 4% is required
– 8% threshold for coalitions

There will be no runoff, and the candidate with the most votes will be appointed as governor.
Moreover, the majority bonus system will be progressive, allocating between 11 to 14 councilors based on the win percentage.