Italian lawmakers vote for next president with unclear slate

By FRANCES D’EMILIO and COLLEEN BARRY
Associated Press

ROME (AP) — With special pandemic precautions, voting for Italy’s next president has begun without a clear slate of candidates following three-time ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s reluctant withdrawal. Party leaders on Monday kept huddling to find consensus even as the Grand Electors began casting ballots in a joint session of Parliament.  Italian lawmakers and special regional representatives are voting for a successor to Sergio Mattarella as head of state. The largely largely ceremonial post also requires political acumen to help to steer Italy through its frequent political crises. The first three rounds of votes, needing a two-thirds majority, are unlikely to yield a winner. But starting with the fourth round on Thursday, a simple majority will clinch victory.