Italians continue to vote in what is expected to be the country’s most right-wing government since World War II and pave the way for Georgia Meloni to become the first female prime minister.

The latest opinion polls released two weeks ago show that the right-wing coalition led by Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party appears to be on track for a clear victory.

But with opinion polls stalling in the two weeks leading up to the election, there’s still room for surprises.

Voting began at 7:00 am and will run until 11:00 pm, and the results of the polls are expected to be published when voters leave the polling stations after voting is over.

But the complicated calculations of the electoral law mean that it could be several hours before the composition of the new parliament is known.

Meloni will be the prime candidate for the premiership as the leader of an alliance that includes Liga Salvini and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia.