Young people as voters

Art. 48 of the Italian Constitution establishes that ‘any citizen, male or female, who has attained the age of majority, shall be a voter’. Therefore, all Italian citizens who have reached the age of 18 are automatically registered in the voter’s lists. This age limit applies to all elections (national, local, European) and referenda. Since 2022, the age of the active electorate for the Senate was reduced from 25 to 18. 

Citizens who are unable to reach the polling station (sick people, prisoners) have access to assistance in order to exercise their right to vote. 

For the first time, in June 2025 a pilot scheme allowing off- site voters to exercise their right to vote during referendums was introduced by Decree-Law 27/2025 converted, with amendments, by Law 72/2025. This allowed voters who, for reasons of study, work, or medical treatment, were temporarily residing in a municipality located in a province different from that of the municipality where they are registered to vote, to exercise their right to vote.

Italian citizens residing abroad, who are enrolled in the Public Register of Italian Residents Abroad (Anagrafe Italiani Residenti all’Estero - AIRE) may vote by correspondence through the Embassy. This applies to national and European elections, as well as referendums. For local elections, they may obtain a discount on public transportation (plane, rail).

In case of elections, the volunteers of the Universal Civic Service deployed outside their place of residence are given permits and free transport to reach the polling station. The rules contained in the Discipline of relations between voluntary organizations and operators of the Universal Civic Service, approved with Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers of 14 January 2019, provide in paragraph 8, the possibility of using days (from 1 to 3 days in relation to the distance between the place of residence and the place of civic service) to exercise the right to vote. Volunteers may also obtain permission to act as the President or Secretary of the polling station, poll clerk or list representative.

The Italian poll turnout figures for all elections are aggregated, therefore data regarding youth participation is not available.

Young people as political representatives

Art. 56 of the Italian Constitution establishes that all who have attained the age of 25 are eligible to be elected as Deputies, and art. 58 that voters who have attained the age of 40 are eligible for election to the Senate.

The minimum age to join a political party varies from 14 to 16 years depending on the different statutes and internal regulations of the party. There are no quotas or specific arrangements in favour of young candidates.

Composition of the Chamber of Deputies by age group 

Composition of the Senate by age group 

In the 2018 Parliament, the average age of members was 44.33 years, while in the Senate, it was 55.37 years. In the Parliament elected in 2022, the average age increased to 51 years, with the Senate rising to an average of 57 years.

Italy does not have formal, reserved seats for young people in the Chamber of Deputies or the Senate and there aren’t any functions reserved for young people. In some cases, there are youth wings of political parties or youth-specific movements within larger parties (e.g. Giovani Democratici for the Partito Democratico-Democratic Party or Movimento Giovani Lega-Youth Movement Lega for the Lega party).