Italy runoff elections: Turnout drops to 39.8% as voting continues

Voter turnout for the municipal runoff elections in 42 Italian municipalities has seen a notable decline, with only 39.8% of eligible voters casting ballots by 11 p.m. on Saturday. This figure represents a significant drop from the 45.6% recorded at the same time during the first round of voting two weeks prior.

The elections are taking place in 42 municipalities across 12 regions, including six provincial capitals: Agrigento, Arezzo, Chieti, Lecco, Macerata, and Trani. Additionally, 148 municipalities in Sardinia are participating in their first-round elections. The polls remain open until 3 p.m. on Sunday.

In Agrigento, the center-left candidate Michele Sodano, who narrowly missed victory in the first round with nearly 40% of the vote, faces Dino Alonge, supported by Forza Italia, Brothers of Italy, UDC, and autonomist parties. The votes of the League and the Christian Democracy parties, which have not issued official voting directives, could prove decisive.

The center-right candidate Marcello Comanducci is favored in Arezzo, leading the center-left candidate Vincenzo Ceccarelli by over 11 points. The performance of the centrist candidate Marco Donati, who secured over 20% in the first round without endorsing a runoff candidate, remains an uncertainty.

In Chieti, the center-left candidate Giovanni Legnini aims to defend his first-round lead of 47.2%, but the center-right candidate Cristiano Sicari has consolidated his coalition by forming alliances with the League and centrist lists. The race in Lecco is highly competitive between the outgoing center-left mayor Mauro Gattinoni and Filippo Boscagli, backed by the center-right and who held a lead in the first round. Voters from civic lists excluded from the runoff have been granted freedom of choice.

In Macerata, the outgoing center-right mayor Sandro Parcaroli narrowly missed direct election in the first round and is now competing against the center-left candidate Gianluca Tittarelli, who has sought to broaden his support by engaging with Catholic and civic groups. In Trani, after two terms led by the Democratic Party, the contest is between Marco Galiano, supported by the Democratic Party but not the Five Star Movement, and Angelo Guarriello for the center-right. Attention is also focused on Vigevano, where the results from lists associated with Roberto Vannacci in the first round could influence the election of the new mayor.