Regionals: turnout at 12 at 8.56%, a sharp drop. Meloni: go vote – Politics

When the data relating to 1,882 of the 1,882 voting municipalities for the Lombardy and Lazio regions are known, the turnout at 12 is 8.56% (it had been 18.94% in the previous equivalents). This was announced on the Viminale website. In Lombardy (1,504 out of 1,504 municipalities) the turnout is 9.20% (in 2018 at the same time and with the same number of municipalities it had voted 19.91%) In Lazio (378 out of 378 municipalities) it is 7, 49% (17.35%) In 2018, voting took place in a single day, while this year the polling stations will also be open tomorrow, from 7 to 15, while tonight they will close at 23.

“It is an important election, so I hope that the turnout is adequate for a choice like the one that must be made for such strategic regions for a nation. So go and vote”. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said this as she left the polling station in Rome where she went to vote for the presidency of the Lazio Region.

Beyond twelve million of citizens are called to the polls, today and Monday, to choose governors and councils of two of the most important Italian regions: Lazio and Lombardy. The polling stations to renew the two administrations opened today at 7 and you can vote until 11pm. Tomorrow, however, from 7 to 15. The last electoral round for Lazio and Lombardy dates back to 4 March 2018.

For this electoral round there are 9,254 sections for Lombardy in a total of 1,504 municipalities and 5,306 sections for Lazio divided into 378 municipalities.

In Lazio Alessio D’Amato (center-left and Third Pole), Francesco Rocca (center-right), Donatella Bianchi (M5s and other left-wing lists), Rosa Rinaldi (Popular Union) and Sonia Pecorilli (Italian Communist Party) will compete. The Lazio regional council is made up of 50 councilors plus the president of the Region.

In Lombardy the outgoing Attilio Fontana (centre-right), Pierfrancesco Majorino (centre-left and M5s), Letizia Moratti (Third Pole) and Mara Ghidorzi (Unione Popolare) are running for governor. The regional council is made up of 80 councilors including the president of the Region.

The ballot paper is green. The voter has three options: vote for presidential candidate (and the choice does not extend to linked lists), vote for presidential candidate and a list (if selected only from the list, the preference also extends to the candidate) o opt for split votingthat is, choosing a list and an unrelated gubernatorial candidate.

It is possible to express one or two preferences for candidates for the regional council: just write the candidate’s surname, or name and surname, next to the symbol of the list to which he belongs. If two preferences are expressed, they must concern two candidates of different sexes to respect the so-called gender equality. If two men or two women are chosen, the second choice will be cancelled. Counting will begin on Monday immediately after the polls close.