STA, 16 February 2021 - The National Assembly passed in a 45:28 vote on Tuesday legislation that redraws the boundaries of multiple electoral districts in compliance with a 2018 Constitutional Court decision.
The amendments on the act governing electoral district come after the Constitutional Court found that the sizes of electoral districts had become so different over the years the "one voter, one vote" system was effectively undermined.
It gave the National Assembly two years to change legislation, but stopped short of saying exactly how that should be done.
Two possible pathways emerged in talks sponsored by President Borut Pahor, the one passed today and a rival motion that would have abolished electoral districts altogether in favour of ranked-choice voting at the level of electoral units.
The second proposal would require a two-thirds majority and consecutive attempts by mostly smaller parties failed, while the option endorsed today required just a regular majority.
This option had originally been promoted by the SDS, SMC and DeSUS while the latter was still in the coalition. Eventually, the fourth coalition partner, the NSi, also came on board.
MPs also overwhelmingly endorsed amendments to the general election act that simplify the way the two MPs representing the Italian and Hungarian minorities are elected.
The current system of reverse ranked voting will be replaced by a first-past-the-post majoritarian system.
