The 2019 Sardinian regional election took place in this Italian region on 24 February 2019. The election was for all 59 elected seats of the Regional Council of Sardinia as well as the President of the Region who, along with the second placed presidential candidate, would also become members of the Regional Council.

This was the first Sardinian regional election with the participation of League and M5S. The incumbent President (Francesco Pigliaru, PD) did not run for a second term.

The ballot resulted in the election of Christian Solinas, the centre-right candidate, as President of the Regional Council with 47.8% of the votes. The centre-left candidate, Cagliari Mayor Massimo Zedda, came in second with 33 percent. The Five Star Movement candidate, Francesco Desogus, received 11 percent of the vote.

Electoral law

The candidate who obtains a plurality of the votes is elected President of Sardinia. If the elected candidate obtains at least 25% of the votes, the majority of the seats on the board are guaranteed on the lists who support him. The law provides for a single round, with a list vote, the possibility of expressing a preference within the chosen list, and voting for the presidential candidate, on a single card. It is possible to vote for a list and for a candidate who is not connected to each other (Article 9). The candidate who has obtained the relative majority is elected president (Article 1, paragraph 4). To the lists connected to the president-elect, a majority prize may be awarded in the following measure: 60% of the seats if the president-elect obtained a percentage of preference above 40%; 55% of the seats if the elected president has obtained a percentage of preferences between 25% and 40%, while no majority prize is awarded if the president is elected with less than 25% (Article 13). The law provides for a 10% threshold for coalitions, and 5% for non-coalitized lists (Article 1, paragraph 7). No barriers are foreseen for the lists within the coalitions that have exceeded 10%.

Campaign On 13 February certain groups of dairy farmers within the region announced an ultimatum that if the decrease in prices is not prevented then they would block entrances to the polling stations on election day.

Parties and candidates Political party or allianceConstituent listsPrevious resultCandidateVotes (%)Seats Centre-left coalition Democratic Party (PD)22.118 Massimo Zedda Christian Popular Union–Italian Socialist Party (UPC–PSI)3.12 Progressive Camp Sardinia (CPS) Free and Equal Sardinia (LeU) We, Sardinia Sardinia in Common (incl. Futura, Pos, +E, FdV, Sardinian Radicals) Common Future Communist Project for Sardinia (PCS) Centre-right coalition Forza Italia (FI)18.510 Christian Solinas Union of the Centre (UdC)7.64 Sardinian Reformers (RS)6.03 Sardinian Action Party (PSd'Az)4.73 Brothers of Italy (FdI)2.81 Union of Sardinians (UDS)2.61 Fortza Paris (FP)0.7– League (Lega) Energies for Italy (EpI) (incl. ALI, PRI and PLI) Sardinia 20Twenty (S20V) Civic Sardinia (SC)Five Star Movement (M5S) Francesco DesogusFree Sardinians (incl. ProgReS, Unidos and Free Sardinia)5.6– Mauro PiliAutodeterminatzione (ADN) (incl. RM, iRS and SNI)3.43 Andrea MurgiaParty of Sardinians (PdS)2.72 Paolo ManincheddaCommunist Refoundation–Italian Communists–Sardinian Left (PRC–PCI–SS)2.02 Vindice Lecis

Opinion polls

Date Polling firm Zedda Solinas Desogus Pili Others Lead 24 Feb 2019Election Result 32.9 47.8 11.2 2.3 5.8 14.9 24 Feb 2019 Consorzio Opinio 35.0–39.0 36.5–40.5 13.5–17.5 1.5 29 Jan 2019 SWG 31.0 35.0 24.0 5.0 5.0 4.0 26 Nov 2018Euromedia 29.3 43.7 27.0 14.4 Oct 2018 SWG 29.0 38.0 28.0 5.0 9.0

Results + Candidates Votes % Seats Parties Votes % SeatsChristian Solinas364,059 47.78 1League81,421 11.40 8Sardinian Action Party70,434 9.86 7Forza Italia57,430 8.04 5Sardinian Reformers36,299 5.08 4Brothers of Italy33,716 4.72 3Sardinia 20Twenty29,473 4.12 3Union of the Centre26,948 3.77 3Civic Sardinia11,689 1.63 1Fortza Paris11,611 1.62 1Union of Sardinians7,828 1.09 –Energies for Italy3,505 0.49 –Total370,354 51.87 35Massimo Zedda250,797 32.92 1Democratic Party96,235 13.47 8Free and Equal Sardinia27,077 3.79 2Progressive Camp Sardinia22,671 3.17 2We, Sardinia20,011 2.80 2Common Future18,750 2.62 2Sardinia in Common17,566 2.46 1Christian Popular Union–Italian Socialist Party9,275 1.30 –Communist Project for Sardinia3,075 0.43 –Total214,660 30.06 17Francesco Desogus85,342 11.20–Five Star Movement69,573 9.74 6Paolo Maninchedda25,559 3.35–Party of Sardinians26,216 3.67–Mauro Pili17,593 2.31–Free Sardinians15,234 2.13–Andrea Murgia13,955 1.83–Autodeterminatzione13,657 1.91–Vindice Lecis4,528 0.59–Communist Refoundation–Italian Communists–Sardinian Left4,308 0.60–Invalid votes30,440–Total candidates 790,709 100.00 2Total parties706,020 100.00 58Registered voters 1,470,401 53.77 Source: Autonomous Region of Sardinia – Results (1,833 of 1,840 President; 1,825 of 1,840 Lists); Seats

Voter turnout RegionTime12:0019:0022:00Sardinia16.77%43.78%53.77%ProvinceTime12:0019:0022:00Cagliari18.58%45.25%55.52%Nuoro15.78%43.36%53.18%Oristano14.85%41.87%51.25%Sassari16.04%44.28%54.65%Medio Campidano15.30%40.41%50.85%Carbonia Iglesias16.61%42.00%51.35%Ogliastra16.24%44.46%54.26%Olbia Tempio16.28%43.47%52.73%Source: Autonomous Region of Sardinia – Turnout </onlyinclude>

References