Candidates nomination strategy in a mixed electoral system: Evidence from the 2022 Italian general election

Abstract

Despite the significant attention that scientific literature has dedicated to candidate selection mechanisms, relatively few studies have delved into which characteristics influence candidate positioning on the list. Social scientists have primarily focussed on factors shaping a candidate’s career rather than those affecting their placement on the list. Placement is a crucial factor in mixed or proportionally representative electoral systems with closed-list structures. Through a multivariate statistical analysis applied to an original dataset on candidates from major parties, this article aims to fill this gap in the literature by analysing candidates in the list during the 2022 Italian political elections. The results suggest that factors such as incumbency, previous national career, and the level of local rootedness favour placement on the list in positions where the chance of election seems more realistic. Conversely, gender favours placement in positions where the chances of election are less realistic. Additionally, dual candidacy in both the proportional and majoritarian parts also appear to have a positive effect; however, its interaction effects with other variables are less clear.