Polls for mayoral elections in 749 Italian municipalities will reopen tomorrow, from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the final electoral test before the 2027 general election.
Over 6.6 million Italians are called to vote to elect mayors and city councils in the ordinary-statute regions. In Sardinia, voting will take place on June 7th and 8th.
The spotlight is on 18 provincial capitals, one regional capital and 17 provincial capitals : Venice, Reggio Calabria, Lecco, Mantua, Arezzo, Pistoia, Prato, Fermo, Macerata, Chieti, Avellino, Andria, Trani, Crotone, Salerno, Agrigento, Enna, and Messina.
At 11 p.m., the turnout was 46.5% . The previous figure, referring to the comparable election, had been 50.1%.
In the north, the most closely contested race is in Venice , where the center-right candidate is Simone Venturini, who will try to uphold the legacy of outgoing mayor Luigi Brignaro, while the center-left candidate is Democratic Party Senator Andrea Martella. Mantua, Prato, and Lecco are also being closely watched.
In the South, meanwhile, all eyes are on Salerno and Reggio Calabria. Vincenzo De Luca, after ten years as governor of Campania, is attempting to reclaim his hometown, where he was first elected mayor in 1993. His main challenger is Gherardo Maria Marenghi, a 45-year-old lawyer, backed by the united center-right with four lists supporting him. The center-right is also attempting to reclaim Reggio Calabria with Francesco Cannizzaro, a Forza Italia MP backed by the entire coalition. The center-left is responding with Domenico Battaglia, considered Falcomatà's political heir.
The possible runoff election is scheduled for Sunday, June 7th and Monday, June 8th.
(Unioneonline)