Pescara, sensational decision of the TAR: elections to be repeated in 27 sections

The Regional Administrative Court of Abruzzo has made a sensational decision on the 2024 municipal elections in Pescara . Partially accepting the appeal presented by some civic lists, the TAR has annulled the proclamation of Mayor Carlo Masci and ordered the repetition of the vote in 27 sections throughout the city. A ruling that shakes the local political landscape, opening a phase of uncertainty and preparations for new electoral consultations.

The TAR annuls the Pescara municipal elections: everything to be redone

Following an appeal filed by an unelected candidate for the Pescara City Council in the 2024 elections , the Regional Administrative Court of Abruzzo has decided to invalidate the results of the voting in 27 sections of the Adriatic capital. This ruling led to the annulment of the proclamation of Mayor Carlo Masci , a member of Forza Italia, and imposed a limitation of the powers of both the City Council and the Executive, reducing them to matters of ordinary administration only.

The TAR also forwarded the documents to the Pescara Prosecutor's Office, so that the possible existence of irregularities or electoral crimes in the sections involved can be ascertained. Consequently, it will be necessary to repeat the vote in the 27 polling stations where the result was deemed invalid.

Despite this, the chances that a repeat election will significantly change the overall outcome of the race seem very slim. The annulled sections represent little more than 15% of the total 170 city sections, while Masci had already obtained a victory in the first round with about 51% of the votes, beating his center-left challenger Carlo Costantini by more than 10,000 votes.

For over twelve months, the Regional Administrative Court of Abruzzo has been examining the appeal regarding the results of the 2024 Pescara municipal elections. Last April, the judges requested further investigation into some key aspects of the case, focusing in particular on the inconsistencies found between the number of authenticated ballots, those recorded in the section minutes, and those actually found inside the ballot packages.

The law allows for a certain difference between the ballots delivered to the polling stations and those counted, provided that such discrepancies are documented and justified in the minutes. This verification is essential to ensure transparency and allow the TAR to decide whether the irregularities are sufficient to partially or totally invalidate the vote. The required in-depth analysis serves to check whether the electoral documentation is complete and correct, and whether the differences found could compromise the regularity of the elections in the sections involved.

The TAR has ordered that, pending the new proclamation, the elective bodies of the Municipality will maintain their functions limited to ordinary management and urgent decisions. However, the times and methods for the repetition of the vote in the 27 sections involved remain uncertain.