What is the difference between an exit poll, a projection and the final result?

The exit poll is based on surveys of voters immediately after they cast their ballot and is published the moment polling stations close. A projection extrapolates the votes already counted to the country as a whole and becomes more accurate as counting proceeds. The final official result is only confirmed once every vote has been counted and certified by the electoral authority.

Why doesn't a party's vote share match its share of the seats?

Votes are converted into seats under the rules of the electoral system. Electoral thresholds leave small parties without a mandate, while constituencies, rounding methods or additional seats shift the distribution further. That is why a party with less than half of the votes can end up with more than half of the seats.

Who forms the government after the election?

A government needs a majority of the seats in parliament behind it – either a single party or several together in a coalition. The election only distributes the seats; which alliance emerges from them is negotiated afterwards.

Italy Italy's Parliamentary Election: Results, Seat Distribution, and Coalition Options

Election Winner

Il Popolo della Libertà

37.4 % of votes

Parties in Parliament

-5 compared to 2006

Voter Turnout

80.6 %

-3.6 percentage points compared to 2006

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Final Official Results of Italy's Parliamentary Election

The bars show each party's vote share, the chips the swing since the previous election. Results of Italy's Parliamentary Election Held on 14 April 2008

PdL

37.4

+37.4

33.2

+33.2

Lega

8.3

+3.7

UDC

5.6

-1.2

IdV

4.4

+2.1

3.1

+3.1

Tricolore

2.4

+2.4

MpA

1.1

+1.1

Segni

1.0

+1.0

SVP

0.4

-0.1

Estero

0.1

+0.1

AADP

0.1

±0.0

Other

2.9

Government cannot remain in office

The incumbent governing parties achieved 4.6% of the seats.

Seat Distribution After Italy's Parliamentary Election

Total seats

630

Majority

316

Parties

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Coalition Calculator: Possible Majorities Following Italy's Parliamentary Election

316

0 630

Majority 316

Parties

Select parties to test coalitions.

Scenarios: What if...?

Select all parties near the electoral threshold that should enter parliament. electoral threshold at 3%.

Who Governed Italy After the Election

Election Day 14/04/2008 Government formation 24 days Berlusconi IV 08/05/2008 – 27/04/2013 Monti Caretaker

Berlusconi IV

8 May 2008 – 27 April 2013 · 4 years 11 months

60 of 630 seats

All Elections

Every party in detail: votes, gains and losses

Behind each vote share we also show what percentage of all eligible voters backed a party – non-voters included.

Orientation	Party	Votes	Electorate	Seats
Centre-Right	Il Popolo della Libertà	37.4 % +37.4	30.1 %	276 +276
Centre-Left	Partito Democratico	33.2 % +33.2	26.8 %	217 +217
Right	Lega	8.3 % +3.7	6.7 %	60 +34
Centre-Right	Unione di Centro	5.6 % -1.2	4.5 %	36 -3
Centre-Left	Italia dei Valori	4.4 % +2.1	3.5 %	29 +13
Left	Sinistra Italiana	3.1 % +3.1	2.5 %	0 ±0
Far-Right	Fiamma Tricolore	2.4 % +2.4	1.9 %	0 ±0
Centre-Right	Movimento per l'Autonomia	1.1 % +1.1	0.9 %	8 +8
Centre-Right	Patto Segni	1.0 % +1.0	0.8 %	0 ±0
Regional	SVP	0.4 % -0.1	0.3 %	2 -2
Unknown	Movimento Associativo Italiani all'Estero	0.1 % +0.1	0.1 %	1 +1
Centre-Left	Alleanza Autonomista Democratica Progressista	0.1 % ±0.0	0.1 %	1 ±0
Unknown	Other Parties	2.9 % -2.5	2.3 %	0 ±0

The Contenders: Parties in Italy's Parliamentary Election

Conservative

Social

Market

Progressive

Your position in comparison

Compare now

Il Popolo della Libertà Conservative Partito Democratico Social Democratic Lega Right Populist Unione di Centro Christian Democratic Italia dei Valori Liberal Sinistra Italiana Left Fiamma Tricolore Far-Right Movimento per l'Autonomia Christian Democratic Show all parties

All Parties

How Italy's Parliamentary Election Compares to Past Contests

2008 Voter Turnout 80.6%

37.4 33.2 8.3 5.6 4.4 3.1

2006 Voter Turnout 84.2%

4.6 6.8 2.3

2001

3.9 4.0

All Elections

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