Lawmakers from both houses of parliament and regional representatives started the process of electing Italy's new president on Monday.
Most of the 1009 'grand electors' are expected to cast blank papers in the first ballot with no deal so far between the major political parties on who should replace President Sergio Mattarella, whose seven-year term is coming to an end.
Indeed, the centre-left parties and Matteo Salvini's League have said that this is what they will do.
There is set to be one vote a day and a majority of two-thirds of the grand electors is needed to vote in a new president in the first three ballots.
After that a simple majority of 505 is sufficient.
It is expected to take around six hours for the votes to be cast and counted in each ballot while respecting COVID-19 protocols.
A drive-in voting station has been set up in the Lower House's car park to enable around 15 grand electors who are positive for the coronavirus to vote. The first such voter came by ambulance on Monday.
On Saturday ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi announced he would not stand amid staunch opposition to him taking the top job from the Democratic Party (PD) and the 5-Star Movement (M5S).
The PD and the M5S said the president should be a more impartial figure.
Under the Constitution, the head of State acts as a sort of referee of Italian politics and the role is especially important at times of political crisis.
There has been talk of the PD and M5S proposing Andrea Riccardi, the founder of the Sant'Egidio Community, a Catholic lay association.
Premier Mario Draghi had talks with Salvini on Monday, ANSA sources said.
Salvini is also meeting PD leader Enrico Letta on Monday.
The centre-right alliance has not come up with a candidate yet after Forza Italia leader Berlusconi pulled out.
Draghi is among the favourites to be the nation's next president, although if the former ECB chief is elected head of State, it could lead to early elections.
This is because many find it hard to imagine the broad spectrum of parties supporting his national unity executive agreeing to get behind another figure.
Indeed, on Sunday Salvini said it would be "dangerous" for Draghi to leave the role of premier at the moment.
M5S leader and ex-premier Giuseppe Conte has also spoken of the need for "continuity in the government's efforts".
The rightwing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party on Monday proposed former prosecutor Carlo Nordio, who made his name with Bribesville probes of leftwing cooperatives and later led a bipartisan bid for judicial reform, for the presidency.
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