EU Elections 2024: Key Details on Date, Time, and Candidates
European Elections 2024: Your Ultimate Guide
Important Dates and Parliament Composition
The upcoming 2024 European elections will mark the tenth time citizens across the continent will head to the polls to elect members of the European Parliament.
The Council of the European Union unanimously agreed on the voting dates.
Ambassadors from the 27 EU member states have set the European elections to take place from June 6 to June 9, 2024.
In Italy, voting will occur on Saturday, June 8, and Sunday, June 9.
Each country has the autonomy to choose its election date within the range from Thursday, June 6, to Sunday, June 9, 2024.
Vote counting will commence simultaneously in all states, most likely starting at 11:00 pm on Sunday, June 9.
Voting Hours and Counting
Traditionally, in Italy with a two-day voting system, polling stations have remained open throughout Sunday and half of Monday.
For the European elections, voting will take place on Saturday and Sunday, with unprecedented hours.
– Saturday, June 8: from 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm
– Sunday, June 9: from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm
Vote counting for the European elections will start right after the polling stations close at 11:00 pm on Sunday, June 9, while for the local elections, the counting will begin at 2:00 pm on Monday, June 10.
Composition of the European Parliament
In the 2024 European elections, EU citizens will vote to elect a total of 705 Members of the European Parliament, distributed based on each member state’s population.
Following Brexit, the number of MEPs was reduced from 751 to 705.
Italy will send 73 MEPs to Brussels and Strasbourg, with only Germany (96) and France (79) electing more representatives.
Each country will select its MEPs according to its specific electoral law, which varies among EU member states.
Electoral Law and Candidates
In Italy, the electoral law for European elections is a pure proportional representation system.
The country is divided into five districts with a national threshold of 4% for party lists.
Italy is allocated a specific number of seats in each district:
– Northwestern Italy: 20 seats
– Northeastern Italy: 15 seats
– Central Italy: 15 seats
– Southern Italy: 18 seats
– Insular Italy: 8 seats
The electoral law allows voters to express up to three preferences for candidates on the chosen party list.
Currently, notable candidates for the 2024 European elections include Matteo Renzi, Cateno De Luca, Giorgia Meloni, Letizia Moratti, Nicola Zingaretti, and Giuseppe Conte, among others.
Various parties and movements are gearing up for an eventful electoral campaign, with the potential to reshape the European political landscape.
