# 2016 Bologna municipal election

Municipal elections were held in Bologna on 5 and 19 June 2016. The centre-left candidate Virginio Merola was elected mayor at the second round with 54.64% of votes.

## Voting system

The voting system is used for all mayoral elections in Italy, in the city with a population higher than 15,000 inhabitants. Under this system voters express a direct choice for the mayor or an indirect choice voting for the party of the candidate's coalition. If no candidate receives 50% of votes, the top two candidates go to a second round after two weeks. This gives a result whereby the winning candidate may be able to claim majority support, although it is not guaranteed.
The election of the City Council is based on a direct choice for the candidate with a preference vote: the candidate with the majority of the preferences is elected. The number of the seats for each party is determined proportionally.

## Parties and candidates

This is a list of the parties (and their respective leaders) which will participate in the election.
| Political force or alliance | Constituent lists | Leader |
| Centre-left coalition | Democratic Party | Virginio Merola |
| Centre-left coalition | Common City with Amelia | Virginio Merola |
| Centre-left coalition | Bologna Alive | Virginio Merola |
| Centre-left coalition | Citizens for Bologna | Virginio Merola |
| Centre-left coalition | Bologna metropolitan hits the mark | Virginio Merola |
| Centre-right coalition | Northern League | Lucia Borgonzoni |
| Centre-right coalition | Forza Italia | Lucia Borgonzoni |
| Centre-right coalition | United We Win | Lucia Borgonzoni |
| Centre-right coalition | Brothers of Italy | Lucia Borgonzoni |
| Centre-right coalition | Let's take back Bologna | Lucia Borgonzoni |
| Five Star Movement | Five Star Movement | Massimo Bugani |
| Popular Area | Together Bologna | Manes Bernardini |
| Left-wing coalition | Civic Coalition (incl. SEL and Possible) | Federico Martelloni |
| Federation of the Greens | Federation of the Greens | Matteo Badiali |
| Workers' Communist Party | Workers' Communist Party | Ermanno Lorenzoni |
| The People of the Family | The People of the Family | Mirko De Carli |
| Justice Honor Freedom | Justice Honor Freedom | Sergio Celloni |

## Results

Summary of the 2016 Bologna City Council election results :
| Candidates | Candidates | 1st round | 1st round | 2nd round | 2nd round | Leaders seats | Parties | Votes | % | Seats |
| Candidates | Candidates | Votes | % | Votes | % | Leaders seats | Parties | Votes | % | Seats |
| | Virginio Merola | 68,772 | 39.48 | 83,907 | 54.64 | – | Democratic Party | 60,066 | 35.46 | 21 |
| | Virginio Merola | 68,772 | 39.48 | 83,907 | 54.64 | – | Common City with Amelia | 4,917 | 2.90 | 1 |
| | Virginio Merola | 68,772 | 39.48 | 83,907 | 54.64 | – | Federation of the Greens (A) | 2,574 | 1.52 | – |
| | Virginio Merola | 68,772 | 39.48 | 83,907 | 54.64 | – | Bologna Alive | 1,416 | 0.84 | – |
| | Virginio Merola | 68,772 | 39.48 | 83,907 | 54.64 | – | Citizens for Bologna | 1,325 | 0.78 | – |
| | Virginio Merola | 68,772 | 39.48 | 83,907 | 54.64 | – | Bologna metropolitan hits the mark | 487 | 0.29 | – |
| | Lucia Borgonzoni | 38,807 | 22.28 | 69,660 | 45.36 | 1 | Northern League | 17,376 | 10.26 | 3 |
| | Lucia Borgonzoni | 38,807 | 22.28 | 69,660 | 45.36 | 1 | Forza Italia | 10,614 | 6.27 | 2 |
| | Lucia Borgonzoni | 38,807 | 22.28 | 69,660 | 45.36 | 1 | United We Win | 4,176 | 2.47 | – |
| | Lucia Borgonzoni | 38,807 | 22.28 | 69,660 | 45.36 | 1 | Brothers of Italy | 4,073 | 2.40 | – |
| | Lucia Borgonzoni | 38,807 | 22.28 | 69,660 | 45.36 | 1 | Let's take back Bologna | 1,025 | 0.61 | – |
| | Massimo Bugani | 28,889 | 16.59 | – | – | 1 | Five Star Movement | 28,115 | 16.60 | 3 |
| | Manes Bernardini | 18,188 | 10.44 | – | – | 1 | Together Bologna | 16,844 | 9.94 | 1 |
| | Federico Martelloni | 12,188 | 7.00 | – | – | 1 | Civic Coalition | 12,017 | 7.09 | 1 |
| | Matteo Badiali | 2,645 | 1.52 | – | – | – | Federation of the Greens | 2,569 | 1.51 | – |
| | Ermanno Lorenzoni | 2,178 | 1.25 | – | – | – | Workers' Communist Party | 1,869 | 1.10 | – |
| | Mirko De Carli | 2,074 | 1.19 | – | – | – | The People of the Family | 2,087 | 1.23 | – |
| | Sergio Celloni | 446 | 0.26 | – | – | – | Justice Honor Freedom | 428 | 0.25 | – |
| Total | Total | 174,187 | 100.00 | 153,567 | 100.00 | 4 | | 169,409 | 100.00 | 32 |
| Source: Ministry of the Interior |||||||||||
Notes: if a defeated candidate for Mayor obtained over 3% of votes, the mayoral candidate is automatically elected communal councilor (Borgonzoni, Bugani, Bernardini and Martelloni); see Italian electoral law of 1993 for Comuni. The candidate elected Mayor is not a member of communal council, but Merola votes in the communal council (see Italian electoral law 1993).
Popular vote
PD
35.44%
M5S
16.60%
LN
10.25%
IB
9.94%
CC
7.09%
FI
6.26%
CCA
2.89%
UV
2.45%
FdI
2.41%
Others
6.67% :
Mayor (1st round)
Merola
39.46%
Borgonzoni
22.27%
Bugani
16.19%
Bernardini
10.43%
Martelloni
7.00%
Others
4.65% :
Mayor (2nd round)
Merola
54.64%
Borgonzoni
45.36% :