From Venice to Reggio Calabria, over 6 million Italians voted. At 11pm on Sunday…

For the round of municipal elections, polling stations open today from 7am to 3pm. Beyond 6 million and 600,000 Italians are called to the polls per the annual shift of administrative elections in 894 municipalities, of which 18 were provincial capitals. The possible runoff, in municipalities with more than 15 thousand inhabitants, will take place on 7 and 8 June. Among the municipalities at vote 18 are provincial capitals: Venice, Lecco, Mantua, Arezzo, Pistoia, Prato, Fermo, Macerata, Chieti, Avellino, Salerno, Andria, Trani, Reggio Calabria, Crotone, Agrigento, Enna and Messina

Turnout at 11pm at 46.3%, down by almost four points

At 11pm on Sunday the turnout was 46.3%, when compared to the same time of the previous electoral round it had been 50.2%. At 7 pm it was 34.5% (37% the previous one), while at 12 pm the 14,74%of those entitled (15.75% the previous time at the same time).   

Over 6 and a half million voters voted

The citizens of 661 municipalities are called to the polls for the direct election of mayors and the renewal of municipal councils, a total of 6,624,575 voters. Voting will also take place in the special statute regions. In Aosta Valley the first round is set for tomorrow, with a possible run-off on 7 June. In Friuli-Venezia Giulia and in Sicily the consultations will be held today and tomorrow, with a possible run-off in Sicily on 7 and 8 June. In Sardinia, however, the first round will take place on 7 and 8 June, with a possible run-off on 21 and 22 June. Lecco, Mantua, Venice, Arezzo, Pistoia, Prato, Fermo, Macerata, Chieti, Avellino, Salerno, Andria, Trani, Crotone, Reggio Calabria, Messina, Enna and Agrigento are the capitals called to renew the administrations.

Venice and Reggio Calabria the most interesting challenges

The most interesting challenges seem to be those of Venice and Reggio, where the two main sides believe they have the numbers to wrest the leadership of the cities from the opposing camp.
In Venice the outgoing mayor, Luca Brugnarois in his second term and is not re-nominated by the centre-right coalition which has fielded Simone Venturini, his councillor. The challenger, for the centre-left, is Andrea Martella. In the Venetian capital there are eight candidates in the field. In the event of a victory for the centre-left, Venice would become the third large city in the Veneto to be administered by the centre-left after Verona, a city in which the centre-left governs with citizen Damiano Tommasi, and Vicenza, governed by Giacomo Possamai. The government majority, a Reggio CalabriaMetropolitan City, aim for Francesco Cannizzaroalso supported by Action. Canizzaro challenges Domenico Battaglia (PD), who replaced the outgoing mayor Giuseppe Falcomatàelected to the Regional Council. On the banks of the Strait, also thanks to the support of Action, the centre-right, which already leads the Region, hopes to return to administration after 12 years of government under Falcomatà.

Salerno, Chieti and Agrigento are also voting

In Salerno, Azione supports the race of the centrist Armando Zambrano, against the two ‘progressive camps‘: the one formed by M5s, Avs and Salerno Democratica, which supports Franco Massimo Lanocita, and the one which supports the former governor Vincenzo De Luca, with seven civic groups. The symbol of the Democratic Party will be missing in the Campania city, a choice made by the dems so as not to upset the balance of the broad field that won in the last regional elections with the five-star Roberto Fico. The coalition formed by Fratelli d’Italia, Forza Italia, Lega and Noi moderates appears united almost everywhere in this electoral round, probably the last before the general elections. Among the Municipalities voting, the coalition in government in Rome appears divided, in Lombardyin Vigevano, where the League runs alone with the outgoing councilor Riccardo Ghia, also supported by FdI and Noi moderates, and FI is with the surgeon Paolo Previde Massari; the center-left is united around Rossella Buratti. And a Chietiin Abruzzowhere the united center-left supports the former undersecretary Giovanni Legnini, while the center-right is divided with FdI, FI and Noi moderates who support the civic candidate Cristiano Sicari and the League supports Mario Colantonio, together with the Udc. Center-right also divided into Sicilyad Agrigentowhere the Lega and NM run with the former regional deputy Luigi Gentile, while FdI and FI support the civic Forzista Dino Alonge. In Campaniawe run in no particular order Avellinowhere Lega and UDC support Gianluca Festa, while Forza Italia and Fratelli support the former mayor Laura Nargi, who fell following the dissolution of the city council due to failure to approve the budget.
Another objective of the coalition led by Giorgia Meloni is, in Calabriathe confirmation of the outgoing mayor Vincenzo Voce, a Crotone. In Campaniathe challenge against the former mayor and former governor Vincenzo De Luca, in Salerno, where the center-right is fielding the lawyer Gherardo Maria Marenghi, is defined as “very difficult”. In Tuscanyfinally, the challenges in Prato are considered difficult, where the center-right supports the FdI leader Gianluca Banchelli; to Arezzo with the entrepreneur Marcello Comanducci and others Pistoia with the blue Anna Maria Celesti.