At least 46.8 million Italians
will be called to the polls Sunday in a referendum asking voters
whether or not they want to strike down existing oil and gas
prospecting and drilling concessions within 12 miles of Italy's
Adriatic shores.
In order to reach a quorum, at least 50% plus one of
eligible voters must turn out, and in order for the referendum
to be approved, the majority must vote 'yes'.
Specifically, the referendum question will ask voters to
decide whether or not the 30-year concessions should be renewed,
or if prospecting and drilling should continue only until they
expire.
If the 'yes' vote wins, platforms currently located within
12 miles of Italy's shores would be dismantled once their
concessions expire in about 30 years.
Setting up new platforms for oil and gas drilling within 12
miles of Italy's shores is already prohibited by law.
The referendum was called on the request of nine Italian
regions bordering on the Adriatic and by environmentalist
organizations such as Greenpeace over concerns that the
platforms are not worth the actual and potential damage to the
marine ecosystem on which Italy's tourism and fishing industries
depend.
For example, they say an oil spill would be disastrous in
the Adriatic, which is an enclosed sea.
An additional 3.8 million citizens who are permanent
residents abroad and eligible to vote by mail, and a recent
electoral law reform also allows Italian citizens of voting age
who are temporarily living abroad (such as Erasmus students) to
vote, but in order to do so they were required to submit a
ballot request to their home city of residence by February 25.
The electorate is made up of Italy's more than 8,000
Italian cities and towns, divided into 61,563 electoral sections
across the country.
Polling stations across Italy will open 07:00-23:00 on
Sunday, April 17. Vote counting will begin immediately after
polls close at 23:000 on Sunday, with data on voter turnout to
be reported at noon, 19:00 and 23:00.
Voters who need to renew their voter registration card can
do so in their town or city's electoral offices, which will be
open with extended hours on Friday and Saturday from
09:00-18:00, and from 07:00-23:00 on Sunday, the day of the
referendum.
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