The 2006 Italian general election was the first in the country's history in which Italian and dual citizens living outside the country could vote by postal ballot in international electoral districts. [1] Twelve members of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and six members of the Italian Senate were elected in this way.
Italian and dual citizens in North America and Central America (including the Caribbean) elected one member of the Italian Senate. The winning candidate was Renato Turano of Romano Prodi's election coalition, The Union.
All electors could vote for a political list and also cast a first preference vote for a specific candidate. The party with the highest number of list votes won the Senate seat, and the winning party's candidate with the most first preference votes was declared elected.
Seven electoral lists contested the North and Central American Senate division. The same lists also fielded candidates for the Chamber of Deputies and North and Central America.
Prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's right-wing Forza Italia party ran its own slate. Two other parties aligned with Berlusconi's government ran separate lists: the moderate conservative Union of Christian and Centre Democrats and Mirko Tremaglia's right-wing For Italy in the World, which was specifically focused on diaspora issues. (Another party in Berlusconi's coalition, the Lega Nord, also appeared on the ballot, although this seems to have been due to a technical error).
The main opposition group from the previous parliament, Romano Prodi's centre-left Union party, ran a united slate. One of the Union candidates noted that the state of the party lists favoured his group's chances of election. [2]
The centrist Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad also fielded a list, as did the far-right Tricolour Flame party.
Each of the party lists comprised two candidates, except for the Northern League and Tricolour Flame which fielded one apiece.
Romano Prodi's Union received the most votes. Renato Turano received the most first preference votes from this list and was declared elected.
Party | Votes | % | Senators | |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Union | 32,036 | 38.03 | 1 | |
Forza Italia | 25,556 | 30.33 | ||
For Italy in the World with Tremaglia | 11,604 | 13.77 | ||
Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 9,412 | 11.17 | ||
Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 3,191 | 3.79 | ||
Northern League | 1,389 | 1.65 | ||
Tricolour Flame | 1,061 | 1.26 | ||
Total valid votes | 84,249 | 100.00 |
The Union candidate preference votes | ||
---|---|---|
Renato Turano (elected) | 12,097 | |
Rocco di Trolio | 7,675 |
Forza Italia candidate preference votes | |
---|---|
Augusto Sorriso | 8,898 |
Liborio Zambito | 5,387 |
For Italy in the World with Tremaglia candidate preference votes | |
---|---|
Carlo Consiglio | 5,446 |
Vincenzo Centofanti | 2,531 |
Union of Christian and Centre Democrats candidate preference votes | ||
---|---|---|
Vittorio Coco | 3,906 | |
Bernardo Paradiso | 2,885 |
Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad candidate preference votes | ||
---|---|---|
Domenico Serafini detto Dom | 1,471 | |
Sonia Marcella Spadoni | 922 |
Northern League candidate preference votes | ||
---|---|---|
Salvatore Rappa | 807 |
Tricolour Flame candidate preference votes | ||
---|---|---|
Alfredo Viti | 415 |
Source: ARCHIVIO STORICO DELLE ELEZIONI - Consultazione dati: Senato 09/04/2006, Area ESTERO, Ripartizione AMERICA SETTENTRIONALE E CENTRALE, Ministerio dell'Interno, Government of Italy, accessed 27 July 2011. Voters were not required to give a preference vote for any candidate.
More than ninety-five per cent of votes cast in this election were from the United States of America or Canada. The American result was a virtual tie between Berlusconi's list and Prodi's list. In Canada, Prodi's list won a significant victory. Renato Turano credited the Canadian turnout as vital for his election. [17]
Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
For Italy in the World | 0 | 0.00 | |
Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 0 | 0.00 | |
Forza Italia | 0 | 0.00 | |
The Union | 0 | 0.00 | |
Tricolour Flame | 0 | 0.00 | |
Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 0 | 0.00 | |
Lega Nord | 0 | 0.00 | |
Total valid votes | 0 | 0.00 |
Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Forza Italia | 24 | 60.00 | |
The Union | 10 | 25.00 | |
Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 2 | 5.00 | |
Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 2 | 5.00 | |
For Italy in the World | 1 | 2.50 | |
Lega Nord | 1 | 2.50 | |
Tricolour Flame | 0 | 0.00 | |
Total valid votes | 40 | 0.05 |
Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
For Italy in the World | 0 | 0.00 | |
Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 0 | 0.00 | |
Forza Italia | 0 | 0.00 | |
The Union | 0 | 0.00 | |
Tricolour Flame | 0 | 0.00 | |
Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 0 | 0.00 | |
Lega Nord | 0 | 0.00 | |
Total valid votes | 0 | 0.00 |
Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
For Italy in the World | 0 | 0.00 | |
Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 0 | 0.00 | |
Forza Italia | 0 | 0.00 | |
The Union | 0 | 0.00 | |
Tricolour Flame | 0 | 0.00 | |
Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 0 | 0.00 | |
Lega Nord | 0 | 0.00 | |
Total valid votes | 0 | 0.00 |
Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
The Union | 15,409 | 44.36 | |
Forza Italia | 8,504 | 24.48 | |
For Italy in the World | 4,786 | 13.78 | |
Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 4,454 | 12.82 | |
Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 852 | 2.45 | |
Lega Nord | 495 | 1.42 | |
Tricolour Flame | 240 | 0.69 | |
Total valid votes | 34,740 | 41.23 |
Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Forza Italia | 288 | 38.50 | |
The Union | 211 | 28.21 | |
For Italy in the World | 81 | 10.83 | |
Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 67 | 8.96 | |
Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 44 | 5.88 | |
Tricolour Flame | 42 | 5.61 | |
Lega Nord | 15 | 2.01 | |
Total valid votes | 748 | 0.89 |
Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
The Union | 47 | 45.63 | |
Forza Italia | 24 | 23.30 | |
For Italy in the World | 14 | 13.59 | |
Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 12 | 11.65 | |
Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 4 | 3.88 | |
Tricolour Flame | 1 | 0.97 | |
Lega Nord | 1 | 0.97 | |
Total valid votes | 103 | 0.12 |
Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Forza Italia | 138 | 46.00 | |
The Union | 85 | 28.33 | |
Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 28 | 9.33 | |
Tricolour Flame | 22 | 7.33 | |
For Italy in the World | 14 | 4.67 | |
Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 10 | 3.33 | |
Lega Nord | 3 | 1.00 | |
Total valid votes | 300 | 0.36 |
Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
For Italy in the World | 0 | 0.00 | |
Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 0 | 0.00 | |
Forza Italia | 0 | 0.00 | |
The Union | 0 | 0.00 | |
Tricolour Flame | 0 | 0.00 | |
Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 0 | 0.00 | |
Lega Nord | 0 | 0.00 | |
Total valid votes | 0 | 0.00 |
Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Forza Italia | 322 | 47.35 | |
The Union | 161 | 23.68 | |
For Italy in the World | 59 | 8.68 | |
Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 59 | 8.68 | |
Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 40 | 5.88 | |
Lega Nord | 22 | 3.24 | |
Tricolour Flame | 17 | 2.50 | |
Total valid votes | 680 | 0.81 |
Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
The Union | 11 | 52.38 | |
Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 7 | 33.33 | |
Forza Italia | 2 | 9.52 | |
For Italy in the World | 1 | 4.76 | |
Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 0 | 0.00 | |
Tricolour Flame | 0 | 0.00 | |
Lega Nord | 0 | 0.00 | |
Total valid votes | 21 | 0.02 |
Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Forza Italia | 53 | 49.07 | |
The Union | 24 | 22.22 | |
For Italy in the World | 9 | 8.33 | |
Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 8 | 7.41 | |
Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 7 | 6.48 | |
Tricolour Flame | 4 | 3.70 | |
Lega Nord | 3 | 2.78 | |
Total valid votes | 108 | 0.13 |
Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
The Union | 671 | 37.80 | |
Forza Italia | 502 | 28.28 | |
Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 180 | 10.14 | |
Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 172 | 9.69 | |
For Italy in the World | 155 | 8.73 | |
Tricolour Flame | 50 | 2.82 | |
Lega Nord | 45 | 2.54 | |
Total valid votes | 1,775 | 2.11 |
Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
The Union | 78 | 46.43 | |
Forza Italia | 52 | 30.95 | |
For Italy in the World | 18 | 10.71 | |
Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 13 | 7.74 | |
Tricolour Flame | 4 | 2.38 | |
Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 2 | 1.19 | |
Lega Nord | 1 | 0.60 | |
Total valid votes | 168 | 0.20 |
Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Forza Italia | 88 | 44.22 | |
The Union | 62 | 31.16 | |
For Italy in the World | 33 | 16.58 | |
Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 6 | 3.02 | |
Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 4 | 2.01 | |
Tricolour Flame | 3 | 1.51 | |
Lega Nord | 3 | 1.51 | |
Total valid votes | 199 | 0.24 |
Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Forza Italia | 15,559 | 34.30 | |
The Union | 15,267 | 33.65 | |
For Italy in the World | 6,433 | 14.18 | |
Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 4,628 | 10.20 | |
Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 2,002 | 4.41 | |
Lega Nord | 800 | 1.76 | |
Tricolour Flame | 678 | 1.49 | |
Total valid votes | 45,367 | 53.85 |
Source: ARCHIVIO STORICO DELLE ELEZIONI - Consultazione dati: Senato 09/04/2006, Area ESTERO, Ripartizione AMERICA SETTENTRIONALE E CENTRALE, Ministerio dell'Interno, Government of Italy, accessed 27 July 2011.
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