definitive turnout at 62.7%, who wins in Florence, Bari and Perugia

Until now, only the exit polls have been released for some of the cities in which voting was held to choose the new mayor. The counting, for all local elections, will begin today at 2pm. As for the large cities, the first projections will arrive in the following hours: unlike the exit polls, they will be based on the data already scrutinized, and not on the voters’ declarations. The final result should arrive today.

According to the first exit polls, released by the Opinio Italia consortium for Rai, Francesco Fanelli, candidate of the centre-right, would be ahead in the Potenza local elections, with a percentage between 47.5% and 51.5% of the votes: he might not need a runoff to be elected mayor. Second place for the PD candidate Vincenzo Telesca, with 21-25%. Pierluigi Smaldone follows with 14-18% and Francesco Giuzio (8-12%).

According to the exit polls published by the Opinio Italia consortium for Rai, in the municipal elections in Perugia the winner in the head-to-head between mayoral candidates would be Vittoria Ferdinandi, the civic candidate from the united centre-left: according to the findings before the start of the counting, she would have obtained between 49% and 53% of the votes, and may not need a run-off to be elected mayor of the Umbrian capital. Behind her is the centre-right candidate, Margherita Scoccia, former councilor of the outgoing mayor Andrea Romizi’s council, who would have obtained between 44% and 48% of the votes.

According to the exit polls of Rai’s Opinio Italia consortium, the centre-right candidate Aldo De Benedittis would have the advantage in the municipal elections of Campobasso, who with a percentage between 49% and 53% may not need a second round. In second place is Marialuisa Forte, supported by the 5 Star Movement, the Pd and the Green-Left Alliance, estimated between 31% and 35%. Finally Pino Ruta (supported by Costruire democracy, Unica terra Molise and Civic Confederation) who would obtain between 14% and 18% of the votes in the Molise capital.

The first exit polls on the vote in the municipal elections in Cagliari, pending the counting, see Massimo Zedda in the lead with 59-63%: for the former mayor there would be no need for a second round to return to the government of the Sardinian capital. Behind, given between 31% and 35%, there is the centre-right candidate Alessandra Zedda, who would therefore not be able to take over from the outgoing Fratelli d’Italia mayor and former candidate in the regional elections Paolo Truzzu. Further behind are Giuseppe Farris, between 2.5 and 4.5%, and Claudia Ortu, between 0.5 and 2.5%.

The exit polls published by the Opinio Rai consortium on the municipal elections in Bari see the candidate of the Democratic Party, Vito Leccese, firmly in the lead but still far from the 50% necessary for a victory in the first round. Second place for Fabio Romito, the center-right candidate, who stops at 33%. The candidate of the 5 Star Movement, who ran separately from the rest of the center-left after the scandals involving the Democratic Party in Puglia, is even further away: candidate Michele Laforgia reaches 22%.

The first exit polls released on the municipal elections in Florence show Sara Funaro, candidate of the Democratic Party and the centre-left, in the lead, which would reach 43%. Further behind is the former director of the Uffizi Eike Schmidt, candidate with the centre-right, at 32%. Apparently no hope of a run-off for Stefania Saccardi, Italia Viva’s candidate, stuck at 10%. The other candidates not revealed by the exit poll were: Lorenzo Masi of the 5 Star Movement, Cecilia Del Re of democratic Florence, Dmitrij Palagi of Sinistra joint project, Francesca Marrazza of Ribella Firenze), Alessandro De Giuli of Florence reborn), Francesco Zini of Florence Cambia and Andrea Asciuti of Firenze Vera.

In Perugia, another regional capital where citizens were called to choose the new mayor and renew the city council, the turnout reached 65.8%. The Umbrian capital is also no exception and sees a decline in participation compared to five years ago. In 2019, in fact, 69.6% of eligible voters took part in the vote. The regional average was higher than that of the capital: recorded turnout of 67.6%.

In Potenza the turnout reached 69.1%, a figure significantly higher than the national average. Compared to five years ago, only a couple of points have been lost: then 71.7% of voters participated. The Lucanian capital saw a much higher turnout than the regional average, which (for the municipal ones) was 61%.

In the Apulian capital, Bari, the municipal elections were at the center of harsh political controversies – including national ones – in the months leading up to the vote. This does not seem to have awakened the attention of voters, on the contrary: the turnout was lower than the national average. Only 58.2% of voters went to the polls, compared to a result in 2019 which was 64.7%.

Campobasso recorded a turnout of 65.3%, down compared to 2019 (68.3%). However, the Molise capital was among the municipalities with the highest turnout in the Region.

In the Tuscan capital, the turnout was above the national average. In fact, in Florence 64.4% of those entitled to vote participated. In 2019, however, the figure reached 68.1%.

During yesterday, Sunday 9 June, the turnout recorded at the municipal elections was first 34.4% (at 12pm), then 53.6% (at 7pm) and finally the definitive figure: a participation by 62.7%. A figure that may seem positive when compared with that of the European elections, in which less than half of the voters participated. However, at the same municipal elections five years ago the turnout was much higher, equal to 67.8%.

In the municipal elections, as is tradition, the turnout was decidedly higher than in the European elections, although down compared to 2019. At 11pm on the first day of elections, Saturday 8 June, participation was 20.6% . A comparison with five years ago is impossible, in this case, because then the vote took place in just one day.

The turnout in the municipal elections reached 62.7%, down compared to five years ago. The counting will start at 2pm today, once the one for the European elections has definitively ended. Voting took place in 3,700 municipalities, including six regional capitals: Florence, Perugia, Campobasso, Potenza, Bari and Cagliari. Here you can follow all the updates live.