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Italy Begins Voting in Constitutional Referendum on Meloni’s Judicial Overhaul

With no turnout threshold under Article 138, the side that mobilizes more voters will decide the reform’s fate.

Overview

  • Surveys reported in the run-up show a narrow lead for the No camp, while a high abstention rate is thought to benefit the Yes push backed by the government.
  • Roughly 46 million citizens can vote from Saturday through Monday, with counting set to begin immediately after polls close on Monday.
  • The reform would separate the careers of judges and prosecutors, preventing magistrates from switching between the two roles.
  • It would split the Consiglio Superiore della Magistratura into two bodies for judges and prosecutors and move disciplinary cases to a new external High Disciplinary Court that includes members appointed by Parliament and the President.
  • Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni frames a Yes vote as modernization and says she will not resign if No prevails, while opposition leader Elly Schlein urges a No vote, arguing the plan risks political influence over who becomes a judge.