The curtain has fallen on voting operations for the administrative elections of 24-25 May 2026 in the province of Messina. The definitive data from 3.00 pm on Monday outline a patchy picture of participation, with an overall turnout standing at 62.49% of the total provincial territory examined. However, behind the provincial average there are very different electoral dynamics, between unexpected exploits in the major centers and noticeable declines in the small mountain and hilly municipalities.
The Messina “case” and the stability of the large centres
What positively drives the general data is the capital: in Messina there was a real leap forward in participation. 116,772 voters out of 188,540 voters went to the polls, equal to 61.93%. This is a significant growth of +6.37% compared to 55.57% in previous elections, a sign of a strongly felt and polarized electoral campaign. The other large center of the province, Milazzo, is also substantially holding its ground, standing at a solid 69.17% (27,621 voters), recording only a very slight decline of 0.45% compared to the past. Similar story for Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, where 66.86% of those entitled to vote voted, with a limited drop of 1.13%. In the tourist areas, Giardini Naxos instead closes with 56.04% of voters, leaving 3.48% on the ground compared to the previous round.
Positive records: Alì Terme and Merì at the top, Malfa flies
The absolute highest turnout percentages are recorded in the Ionian and Tyrrhenian areas: Merì takes the black jersey for the highest participation, reaching 73.42% with an increase of 2.34%. Alì Terme confirms itself at very high levels with 72.79% (substantially identical to the 72.78% of the past). The most obvious surprise of the session, however, is Malfa, in the Aeolian archipelago: the municipality recorded a leap of +9.67%, going from 48.51% in the last elections to an excellent final 58.18%.
The vertical collapses: abstentionism punishes Savoca and the small villages
On the opposite front, the most striking data comes from Savoca. In the hilly village, turnout literally plummeted, stopping at 58.41% compared to 73.26% in the previous round: a vertical collapse of -14.85% linked, in all likelihood, to a local political scenario devoid of real and heated competition. Things are no better in the Nebrodi and inland areas, where depopulation and political disenchantment are being felt heavily: Mirto loses 13.01% of voters, dropping to 46.26%. Raccuja recorded a contraction of 12.28%, reaching 56.44%. The negative record of the lowest turnout goes to Basicò with just 24.37% (down 7.08%) and Limina with 32.63%, territories historically conditioned by the high number of those registered in the Aire (registry of residents abroad) which mathematically affects the final calculation of the real voters. The data released, it should be remembered, remain provisional pending the definitive validation of the respective electoral sections, but they now clearly outline the voting map in the province of Messina.