# 2019 Sardinian regional election

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 alliance | Political party or alliance | Constituent lists | Constituent lists | Previous result | Previous result | Candidate | Candidate |
| Political party or alliance | Political party or alliance | Constituent lists | Constituent lists | Votes (%) | Seats | Candidate | Candidate |
| | Centre-left coalition | | Democratic Party (PD) | 22.1 | 18 | Massimo Zedda |
| | Centre-left coalition | | Christian Popular Union–Italian Socialist Party (UPC–PSI) | 3.1 | 2 | Massimo Zedda |
| | Centre-left coalition | | Progressive Camp Sardinia (CPS) | — | — | Massimo Zedda |
| | Centre-left coalition | | Free and Equal Sardinia (LeU) | — | — | Massimo Zedda |
| | Centre-left coalition | | We, Sardinia | — | — | Massimo Zedda |
| | Centre-left coalition | | Sardinia in Common (incl. Futura, Pos, +E, FdV, Sardinian Radicals) | — | — | Massimo Zedda |
| | Centre-left coalition | | Common Future | — | — | Massimo Zedda |
| | Centre-left coalition | | Communist Project for Sardinia (PCS) | — | — | Massimo Zedda |
| | Centre-right coalition | | Forza Italia (FI) | 18.5 | 10 | Christian Solinas |
| | Centre-right coalition | | Union of the Centre (UdC) | 7.6 | 4 | Christian Solinas |
| | Centre-right coalition | | Sardinian Reformers (RS) | 6.0 | 3 | Christian Solinas |
| | Centre-right coalition | | Sardinian Action Party (PSd'Az) | 4.7 | 3 | Christian Solinas |
| | Centre-right coalition | | Brothers of Italy (FdI) | 2.8 | 1 | Christian Solinas |
| | Centre-right coalition | | Union of Sardinians (UDS) | 2.6 | 1 | Christian Solinas |
| | Centre-right coalition | | Fortza Paris (FP) | 0.7 | – | Christian Solinas |
| | Centre-right coalition | | League (Lega) | — | — | Christian Solinas |
| | Centre-right coalition | | Energies for Italy (EpI) (incl. ALI, PRI and PLI) | — | — | Christian Solinas |
| | Centre-right coalition | | Sardinia 20Twenty (S20V) | — | — | Christian Solinas |
| | Centre-right coalition | | Civic Sardinia (SC) | — | — | Christian Solinas |
| | Five Star Movement (M5S) | Five Star Movement (M5S) | Five Star Movement (M5S) | — | — | Francesco Desogus |
| | Free Sardinians (incl. ProgReS, Unidos and Free Sardinia) | Free Sardinians (incl. ProgReS, Unidos and Free Sardinia) | Free Sardinians (incl. ProgReS, Unidos and Free Sardinia) | 5.6 | – | Mauro Pili |
| | Autodeterminatzione (ADN) (incl. RM, iRS and SNI) | Autodeterminatzione (ADN) (incl. RM, iRS and SNI) | Autodeterminatzione (ADN) (incl. RM, iRS and SNI) | 3.4 | 3 | Andrea Murgia |
| | Party of Sardinians (PdS) | Party of Sardinians (PdS) | Party of Sardinians (PdS) | 2.7 | 2 | Paolo Maninchedda |
| | Communist Refoundation–Italian Communists–Sardinian Left (PRC–PCI–SS) | Communist Refoundation–Italian Communists–Sardinian Left (PRC–PCI–SS) | Communist Refoundation–Italian Communists–Sardinian Left (PRC–PCI–SS) | 2.0 | 2 | Vindice Lecis |
* ↑ 1.7 % of the vote to UPC, 1.4 % of the vote to PSI.
* ↑ 1 seat to UPC, 1 seat to PSI.
* ↑ 2.8 % of the vote to ProgReS, 2.8 % of the vote to Unidos.
* ↑ 2.6 % of the vote to RM, 0.8 % of the vote to iRS.
* ↑ 2 seats to RM, 1 seat to iRS.

## Opinion polls

Exit poll
| Date | Polling firm | Zedda | Solinas | Desogus | Pili | Others | Lead |
| 24 Feb 2019 | Election 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 | N/A | N/A | 1.5 |
| 29 Jan 2019 | SWG | 31.0 | 35.0 | 24.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| 26 Nov 2018 | Euromedia | 29.3 | 43.7 | 27.0 | N/A | N/A | 14.4 |
| Oct 2018 | SWG | 29.0 | 38.0 | 28.0 | N/A | 5.0 | 9.0 |

## Results

24 February 2019 Sardinia regional election results :
| Candidates | Candidates | Votes | % | Seats | Parties | Parties | Votes | % | Seats |
| | Christian Solinas | 364,059 | 47.78 | 1 | | League | 81,421 | 11.40 | 8 |
| | Christian Solinas | 364,059 | 47.78 | 1 | | Sardinian Action Party | 70,434 | 9.86 | 7 |
| | Christian Solinas | 364,059 | 47.78 | 1 | | Forza Italia | 57,430 | 8.04 | 5 |
| | Christian Solinas | 364,059 | 47.78 | 1 | | Sardinian Reformers | 36,299 | 5.08 | 4 |
| | Christian Solinas | 364,059 | 47.78 | 1 | | Brothers of Italy | 33,716 | 4.72 | 3 |
| | Christian Solinas | 364,059 | 47.78 | 1 | | Sardinia 20Twenty | 29,473 | 4.12 | 3 |
| | Christian Solinas | 364,059 | 47.78 | 1 | | Union of the Centre | 26,948 | 3.77 | 3 |
| | Christian Solinas | 364,059 | 47.78 | 1 | | Civic Sardinia | 11,689 | 1.63 | 1 |
| | Christian Solinas | 364,059 | 47.78 | 1 | | Fortza Paris | 11,611 | 1.62 | 1 |
| | Christian Solinas | 364,059 | 47.78 | 1 | | Union of Sardinians | 7,828 | 1.09 | – |
| | Christian Solinas | 364,059 | 47.78 | 1 | | Energies for Italy | 3,505 | 0.49 | – |
| | Christian Solinas | 364,059 | 47.78 | 1 | Total | Total | 370,354 | 51.87 | 35 |
| | Massimo Zedda | 250,797 | 32.92 | 1 | | Democratic Party | 96,235 | 13.47 | 8 |
| | Massimo Zedda | 250,797 | 32.92 | 1 | | Free and Equal Sardinia | 27,077 | 3.79 | 2 |
| | Massimo Zedda | 250,797 | 32.92 | 1 | | Progressive Camp Sardinia | 22,671 | 3.17 | 2 |
| | Massimo Zedda | 250,797 | 32.92 | 1 | | We, Sardinia | 20,011 | 2.80 | 2 |
| | Massimo Zedda | 250,797 | 32.92 | 1 | | Common Future | 18,750 | 2.62 | 2 |
| | Massimo Zedda | 250,797 | 32.92 | 1 | | Sardinia in Common | 17,566 | 2.46 | 1 |
| | Massimo Zedda | 250,797 | 32.92 | 1 | | Christian Popular Union–Italian Socialist Party | 9,275 | 1.30 | – |
| | Massimo Zedda | 250,797 | 32.92 | 1 | | Communist Project for Sardinia | 3,075 | 0.43 | – |
| | Massimo Zedda | 250,797 | 32.92 | 1 | Total | Total | 214,660 | 30.06 | 17 |
| | Francesco Desogus | 85,342 | 11.20 | – | | Five Star Movement | 69,573 | 9.74 | 6 |
| | Paolo Maninchedda | 25,559 | 3.35 | – | | Party of Sardinians | 26,216 | 3.67 | – |
| | Mauro Pili | 17,593 | 2.31 | – | | Free Sardinians | 15,234 | 2.13 | – |
| | Andrea Murgia | 13,955 | 1.83 | – | | Autodeterminatzione | 13,657 | 1.91 | – |
| | Vindice Lecis | 4,528 | 0.59 | – | | Communist Refoundation–Italian Communists–Sardinian Left | 4,308 | 0.60 | – |
| Invalid votes | Invalid votes | 30,440 | – | | | | | | |
| Total candidates | Total candidates | 790,709 | 100.00 | 2 | Total parties | Total parties | 706,020 | 100.00 | 58 |
| Registered voters | Registered 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 ||||||||||
Popular vote
PD
13.47%
Lega
11.40%
PSd'Az
9.86%
M5S
9.74%
FI
8.04%
RS
5.08%
FdI
4.72%
S2020
4.13%
LeU
3.79%
UdC
3.77%
PdS
3.67%
CP
3.17%
Noi
2.80%
FC
2.62%
SiC
2.46%
Others
11.28% :
President
Solinas
47.78%
Zedda
32.91%
Desogus
11.20%
Maninchedda
3.35%
Pili
2.31%
Murgia
1.83%
Lecis
0.59% :

### Voter turnout

| Region | Time | Time | Time |
| Region | 12:00 | 19:00 | 22:00 |
| Sardinia | 16.77% | 43.78% | 53.77% |
| Province | Time | Time | Time |
| Province | 12:00 | 19:00 | 22:00 |
| Cagliari | 18.58% | 45.25% | 55.52% |
| Nuoro | 15.78% | 43.36% | 53.18% |
| Oristano | 14.85% | 41.87% | 51.25% |
| Sassari | 16.04% | 44.28% | 54.65% |
| Medio Campidano | 15.30% | 40.41% | 50.85% |
| Carbonia Iglesias | 16.61% | 42.00% | 51.35% |
| Ogliastra | 16.24% | 44.46% | 54.26% |
| Olbia Tempio | 16.28% | 43.47% | 52.73% |
| Source: Autonomous Region of Sardinia – Turnout ||||