We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
To vote or not to vote in the homeland elections? Insights into voting abstention in Italy's constituency abroad.
- Authors
Battiston, Simone; Luconi, Stefano; Valbruzzi, Marco
- Abstract
Since its introduction in the early 2000s, legislation relating to the voting rights of Italians abroad has enabled millions of residents of voting age outside of Italy to engage in homeland elections and elect their own MPs. The inclusion of Italian citizens abroad in the Italian polity has nevertheless translated into a patchy electoral engagement. This article does not intend to provide an analysis of the voting choices in Italy's overseas constituency. Instead, it delves into external vote dynamics to provide insights into overseas Italians' abstention in parliamentary elections and referenda. After summarising the history of the introduction of Italy's peculiar model of external voting, drawing on the results of an online survey of Italians abroad, the article examines the factors influencing turnout, with specific attention to the eligible voters' personal characteristics. It also focuses on the attitude of Italians abroad towards possible reforms aiming at increasing electoral participation. It concludes that country of birth and Italian language skills are among the most relevant variables not only to assess what fosters or inhibits external voting, but also to gauge the opinion of voters residing outside Italy about proposals to reform the procedures regulating the exercise of suffrage from abroad.
- Subjects
VOTING abstention; ELECTIONS; REFERENDUM; ELECTORAL reform; VOTERS; VOTER turnout
- Publication
Modern Italy, 2024, Vol 29, Issue 1, p73
- ISSN
1353-2944
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1017/mit.2023.59