The Regional Administrative Court (TAR) for Lombardy, the detached section of Brescia (Second Section), has issued a ruling concerning the appeal filed by two minority lists regarding the municipal elections held in Sirmione on June 8 and 9, which saw the victory of candidate Luisa Lavelli. The appellants contested the regularity of the electoral operations, raising several alleged irregularities and requesting the annulment of the elections and a complete redo. However, the TAR’s decision rejected the appeal, deeming it “unfounded on all counts.”
Details on the Contested Ballots and Noted Irregularities
Among the main points of the appeal, the appellants highlighted discrepancies in the numbers of authenticated, used, and remaining ballots in various polling sections. For instance, in section 1, the number of unused authenticated ballots was reported to be four less than expected, while one voted ballot was missing compared to the number of voters. Similarly, in section 5, there were two more voted ballots than voters, along with a discrepancy in the total number of authenticated ballots. Furthermore, some ballots had been marked with a standard pencil instead of a non-reproducible one: 40 in section 5 and 70 in section 6. Nevertheless, the TAR concluded that these irregularities, although documented, were not sufficient to undermine the validity and authenticity of the electoral outcome, as they did not significantly affect the vote margin between the competing lists.
Statements from Mayor Luisa Lavelli
The Mayor of Sirmione, Luisa Lavelli, re-elected in the June elections, commented on the ruling with satisfaction, highlighting the clarity brought by the TAR’s decision regarding the legitimacy of the electoral operations. In a statement, the Mayor said: “This ruling – just like the trust already expressed at the polls – represents an additional impetus to continue working for the benefit of the community, guided by transparency, responsibility, and participation.”
Details of the TAR’s Decision
The ruling confirmed that the irregularities raised by the appellants were of a formal nature and not substantive, and therefore did not affect the electoral outcome. The judges emphasized that none of the noted discrepancies were linked to illicit behavior or capable of compromising the authenticity and reliability of the electoral result. The TAR also pointed out that many of the irregularities, although recorded in the section reports, fall within the normal range of electoral operations, often influenced by material or calculation errors.
Italian Version
