2006 Italian Chamber of Deputies election, North and Central American division
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 two members of the Italian Chamber of Deputies. The winning candidates were Gino Bucchino of Romano Prodi's election coalition, The Union, and Salvatore Ferrigno of Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party.[2]
The process
All electors could vote for a political list and also cast a first preference vote for a specific candidate. Parties were allotted seats via proportional representation, and the candidates that led the electoral slates that won seats were declared elected.
The parties
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 Northern League, 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.[3]
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 four candidates, except for the Northern League, which fielded three, and the Tricolour Flame, which fielded two.
The results
Romano Prodi's Union received the most votes and won the first seat. Forza Italia finished second and was awarded the second seat.
| Party | Votes | % | Deputies | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Union | 33,881 | 38.72 | 1 | |
| Forza Italia | 26,843 | 30.68 | 1 | |
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia | 10,897 | 12.45 | ||
| Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 9,494 | 10.85 | ||
| Alternativa Indipendente Italiani All 'Estero | 3,732 | 4.26 | ||
| Northern League | 1,461 | 1.67 | ||
| Tricolour Flame | 1,197 | 1.37 | ||
| Total valid votes | 87,505 | 100.00 | ||
| The Union candidate preference votes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Gino Bucchino (elected) | 10,361 | |
| Giovanni Rapana' | 8,626 | |
| Silvana Mangione | 8,086 | |
| Graziella Ciminata Bivona | 4,502 | |
| Forza Italia candidate preference votes | |
|---|---|
| Salvatore Ferrigno (elected) | 10,492 |
| Liliana Bartolotta | 4,717 |
| Paolo Antonio Ariemma | 4,427 |
| Angela Della Costanza Turner | 3,392 |
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia candidate preference votes | |
|---|---|
| Antonio Cardillo | 3,593 |
| Anna Colarusso | 2,950 |
| Angelo Vinciguerra | 2,362 |
| Quintino Cianfaglione | 1,634 |
| Union of Christian and Centre Democrats candidate preference votes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Giuseppe Canciani | 3,877 | |
| Domenico Mignone | 2,696 | |
| Gaetano Mattioli Cecchini | 1,202 | |
| Massimo Seracini | 916 | |
| Alternativa Indipendente Italiani All 'Estero candidate preference votes | ||
|---|---|---|
| John Adamo | 1,947 | |
| Paolo de Francesco | 685 | |
| Francesco de Leo | 648 | |
| Antonino Massana | 408 | |
| Northern League candidate preference votes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Guido Renzi | 541 | |
| Stefano Bagnasco | 431 | |
| Natale Salvatore Caruso | 312 | |
| Tricolour Flame candidate preference votes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Giorgio Viti | 382 | |
| Vito Verzura | 351 | |
Source: ARCHIVIO STORICO DELLE ELEZIONI - Consultazione dati: Camera 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.
Detailed results by country
More than 93 per cent of the total votes were cast in the United States of America or Canada. Forza Italia won a narrow victory in America, while the Union won a significant victory in Canada.
Antigua and Barbuda
| Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia | 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 | |
| Northern League | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Total valid votes | 0 | 0.00 | |
Bahamas
| Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forza Italia | 23 | 53.49 | |
| The Union | 12 | 27.91 | |
| Northern League | 2 | 4.65 | |
| Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 2 | 4.65 | |
| Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 2 | 4.65 | |
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia | 2 | 4.65 | |
| Tricolour Flame | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Total valid votes | 43 | 0.05 | |
Barbados
| Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia | 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 | |
| Northern League | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Total valid votes | 0 | 0.00 | |
Belize
| Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia | 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 | |
| Northern League | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Total valid votes | 0 | 0.00 | |
Canada
| Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Union | 17,099 | 48.21 | |
| Forza Italia | 8,802 | 24.82 | |
| Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 4,293 | 12.10 | |
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia | 3,751 | 10.58 | |
| Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 761 | 2.15 | |
| Northern League | 499 | 1.41 | |
| Tricolour Flame | 264 | 0.74 | |
| Total valid votes | 35,469 | 40.53 | |
Costa Rica
| Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forza Italia | 328 | 39.95 | |
| The Union | 239 | 29.11 | |
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia | 75 | 9.14 | |
| Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 65 | 7.92 | |
| Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 48 | 5.85 | |
| Tricolour Flame | 48 | 5.85 | |
| Northern League | 18 | 2.19 | |
| Total valid votes | 821 | 0.94 | |
Dominican Republic
| Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forza Italia | 474 | 24.25 | |
| The Union | 308 | 37.32 | |
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia | 256 | 20.16 | |
| Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 86 | 6.77 | |
| Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 43 | 3.39 | |
| Tricolour Flame | 53 | 4.17 | |
| Northern League | 50 | 3.94 | |
| Total valid votes | 1,270 | 1.45 | |
El Salvador
| Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forza Italia | 168 | 48.98 | |
| The Union | 89 | 25.95 | |
| Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 30 | 8.75 | |
| Tricolour Flame | 24 | 7.00 | |
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia | 16 | 4.66 | |
| Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 14 | 4.08 | |
| Northern League | 2 | 0.58 | |
| Total valid votes | 343 | 0.39 | |
Grenada
| Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia | 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 | |
| Northern League | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Total valid votes | 0 | 0.00 | |
Guatemala
| Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forza Italia | 462 | 53.66 | |
| The Union | 202 | 23.46 | |
| Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 60 | 6.97 | |
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia | 48 | 5.57 | |
| Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 45 | 5.23 | |
| Northern League | 22 | 2.56 | |
| Tricolour Flame | 22 | 2.56 | |
| Total valid votes | 861 | 0.98 | |
Haiti
| Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Union | 9 | 50.00 | |
| Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 7 | 38.89 | |
| Forza Italia | 1 | 5.56 | |
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia | 1 | 5.56 | |
| Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Tricolour Flame | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Northern League | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Total valid votes | 18 | 0.02 | |
Honduras
| Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forza Italia | 55 | 48.25 | |
| The Union | 22 | 19.30 | |
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia | 9 | 7.89 | |
| Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 9 | 7.89 | |
| Tricolour Flame | 8 | 7.02 | |
| Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 7 | 6.14 | |
| Northern League | 4 | 3.51 | |
| Total valid votes | 114 | 0.13 | |
Mexico
| Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Union | 734 | 37.76 | |
| Forza Italia | 573 | 29.48 | |
| Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 192 | 9.88 | |
| Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 178 | 9.16 | |
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia | 145 | 7.46 | |
| Northern League | 68 | 3.50 | |
| Tricolour Flame | 54 | 2.78 | |
| Total valid votes | 1,944 | 2.22 | |
Nicaragua
| Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Union | 88 | 46.07 | |
| Forza Italia | 58 | 30.37 | |
| Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 18 | 9.42 | |
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia | 17 | 8.90 | |
| Tricolour Flame | 8 | 4.19 | |
| Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 2 | 1.05 | |
| Northern League | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Total valid votes | 191 | 0.22 | |
Panama
| Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forza Italia | 94 | 46.08 | |
| The Union | 54 | 26.47 | |
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia | 35 | 17.16 | |
| Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 8 | 3.92 | |
| Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 6 | 2.94 | |
| Tricolour Flame | 6 | 2.94 | |
| Northern League | 1 | 0.49 | |
| Total valid votes | 204 | 0.23 | |
United States of America
| Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forza Italia | 15,805 | 34.19 | |
| The Union | 15,025 | 32.50 | |
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia | 6,542 | 14.15 | |
| Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 4,758 | 10.29 | |
| Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 2,592 | 5.61 | |
| Northern League | 795 | 1.72 | |
| Tricolour Flame | 710 | 1.54 | |
| Total valid votes | 46,227 | 52.83 | |
Source: ARCHIVIO STORICO DELLE ELEZIONI - Consultazione dati: Camera 09/04/2006, Area ESTERO, Ripartizione AMERICA SETTENTRIONALE E CENTRALE, Ministerio dell'Interno, Government of Italy, accessed 27 July 2011.
References
- ↑ "Chicago-Area Businessman Runs For Italian Senate," Italian Voice, 23 February 2006, p. 5; Mike Roberts, "Rocco's Roman empire," CanWest News, 28 February 2006, p. 1.
- ↑ Peter Goodspeed, "Torontonian wins seat in Rome," National Post, 12 April 2006, A14.
- ↑ Mike Roberts, "Rocco's Roman empire," CanWest News, 28 February 2006, p. 1.