A referendum will be held on May 5 on changing the voting system, after the coalition faced down opposition in the House of Lords.
The Parliamentary Voting and Constituencies Bill finally received royal assent last night after a determined attempt to impose a turnout threshold on any referendum.
Peers voted twice to attach an amendment to the Bill that would have meant 40 per cent of the electorate would need to vote in order for the result to be binding on the government.
But the move was twice overturned by MPs and peers finally relented, voting 221 votes to 153 to accept the decision of the Commons.
Pleading with fellow peers to let the Bill pass, Lord Strathcylde, the leader of the House of Lords, said people should have their say on the voting system with " no ifs, not buts, no artificial hurdles".
He said: "I believe we have done our duty and we should let this Bill pass."
The Bill was subject to an unprecedented 17 days in committee in the House of Lords with Labour peers accused of deliberately attempting to delay its passage in order to scupper plans to hold a referendum on May 5.
Ministers had to see the legislation pass by yesterday in order to give the Electoral Commission enough time to prepare for the poll.
As well as paving the way for change in the voting system it cuts the number of MPs from 650 to 600 – a controversial move which has led to accusations that the coalition is trying to "gerrymander" constituency boundaries in order to see more Conservative MPs elected.
Nick Clegg said the Bill was a "real milestone" in restoring trust in the political system.
"Constituencies will be redrawn, so that votes are more equal throughout the country," the deputy prime minister said.
"And, for the first time, through a referendum, voters will have a say in the system they use to elect their MPs.
"Together, these measures will help put the expenses scandal behind us and start to restore trust in our political institutions."
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