Administrative elections, exit polls and screenings: ahead of Gualtieri in Rome

• Ballots: turnout decreases, 33.33% voted at 11pm (39.86% in the first round)

• Administrative: Sunday and Monday ballot in 65 municipalities, seats installed

• Rome, Turin and Trieste in the ballot.

  Victory of the CSX in the first round in Milan, Naples and Bologna

• Ballot in Rome, the challenge between Michetti and Gualtieri

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18 October 2021 The polls in the 65 municipalities called to vote for the ballot round for the election of the mayor have closed. The counting of the ballots begins. Approximately 5 million voters involved.

On the basis of the first Exit poll of the Opinio Italia consortium for Rai, in the run-off for the municipalities of

, Roberto Gualtieri (center-left) reaches a fork between 59 and 63 while Enrico Michetti (center-right) is between 37 and 41.

Applause and shouts of joy welcomed the first exit polls that attribute the victory to Roberto Gualtieri in the challenge with Enrico Michetti for the seat of mayor of Rome. Another roar greeted the center-left's victory in Turin and applause also for the head-to-head in Trieste.

TO 

, Stefano Lo Russo (center-left) reaches a fork between 56 and 60 while Paolo Damilano (center-right) is between 40 and 44.

In 

, Roberto Dipiazza (center-right) and Francesco Russo (center-left) both stand between 48 and 52. Attendance is

down sharply. The main challenges concern Rome, Turin and Trieste but there are also six provincial capitals on the ballot: Latina, Savona, Varese, Benevento, Caserta and Isernia.

On 24 October, however, voting will take place in Trentino Alto Adige (Merano and Brentonico). In Sardinia (Capoterra) and Sicily (Canicattì, Rosolini, Porto Empedocle, San Cataldo, Favara, Adrano, Vittoria, Lentini) in addition to Sunday 24, there will also be voting on Monday 25 October.

In Rome, where the spotlight is on the challenge between the center-right candidate, Enrico Michetti, and the center-left exponent, Roberto Gualtieri, low participation was one of the most feared risks on the eve of the ballot. So much so that the leaders involved in the second round, each for their own part, once voted, re-launched the appeal not to desert. Like Giorgia Meloni, for example: "Voting is very important, it is also a way to take on the responsibility of choosing, of being citizens and not doing the wrong thing, that is to say 'they are all the same and nothing can change'. all the same, politicians are mirrors of the society they represent, there are good ones and bad ones, you have to know how to choose ". But also the president of the Lazio Region, Nicola Zingaretti,through his social channels, he wanted to pass a message: "In democracy you vote. Happy vote to all". Even the secretary of the Democratic Party, Enrico Letta, did not escape, tweeting from 'his' Testaccio: "Done. Good vote to everyone. Long live democracy". No post, however, by the outgoing mayor, Virginia Raggi, or by the M5S leader, Giuseppe Conte, who even during the week had expressed his preference for Gualtieri, but without engaging the entire Movement.Giuseppe Conte, who also during the week had expressed his preference for Gualtieri, but without engaging the entire Movement.Giuseppe Conte, who also during the week had expressed his preference for Gualtieri, but without engaging the entire Movement.

Going up the boot, however, the situation does not improve. In Turin under the Mole the confrontation is close between Paolo Damilano, supported by Forza Italia, Lega and FdI, and the dem Stefano Lo Russo, also supported by Leu and Iv. The former city councilor himself, from the polling station, wanted to launch an appeal to his fellow citizens: "I hope that the Turinese come to vote, it is a matter of deciding the future administration of the city for the next few years. I hope for a large participation in the vote. ". Chiara Appendino did not desert the polls, who chose not to reapply by supporting her party mate, Valentina Sganga, excluded from the first round 15 days ago. The mayor of Turin showed up on social media, with her belly now decidedly pronounced due to pregnancy, and a very short post, almost a 'service': "You can vote until 11pm, and tomorrow, October 18, from 7am to 3pm. Good vote to everyone ".

Finally, in Trieste, the electoral service of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region communicated the turnout percentages recorded at 11pm on Sunday equal to 31%.

In the Julian capital, the match is between the outgoing mayor, Roberto Dipiazza, and the challenger of the center-left, Francesco Russo.