(Bloomberg) -- Italy’s lawmakers attempting to elect a new president in a secret ballot on Tuesday failed to agree on a consensus candidate for the second day in a row. 

Of 976 ballots cast, 527 were left empty by lawmakers.

Voting is set to resume Wednesday at 11 a.m., and talks between party leaders to reach consensus on a candidate will continue.

Prime Minister Mario Draghi remains the lead candidate to succeed Sergio Mattarella as head of state for the next seven years, but a deal is unlikely to be reached until Thursday when the majority to elect a president will be lowered to 505 of 1008 eligible voters.

Read More: Italy Starts Search For New President With Papal-Style Vote

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