2021 Bologna municipal election

The voting system is used for all mayoral elections in Italy, in the cities with a population higher than 15,000 inhabitants. Under this system, voters express a direct choice for the mayor or an indirect choice voting for the party of the candidate's coalition. If no candidate receives 50% of votes during the first round, the top two candidates go to a second round after two weeks. The winning candidate obtains a majority bonus equal to 60% of seats. During the first round, if no candidate gets more than 50% of votes but a coalition of lists gets the majority of 50% of votes or if the mayor is elected in the first round but its coalition gets less than 40% of the valid votes, the majority bonus cannot be assigned to the coalition of the winning mayor candidate.

The election of the City Council is based on a direct choice for the candidate with a maximum of two preferential votes, each for a different gender, belonging to the same party list: the candidate with the majority of the preferences is elected. The number of the seats for each party is determined proportionally, using D'Hondt seat allocation. Only coalitions with more than 3% of votes are eligible to get any seats.^[2]

• Anna Ascani (PD), current Vicepresident of the Democratic Party (2019–today) and Undersecretary for Economic Development (2021–today)
• Stefano Bonaccini (PD), current President of Emilia-Romagna (2014–today)^[5]
• Emily Marion Clancy (SI), municipal councillor for Bologna (2016–today)^[6]
• Giuseppe Conte (M5S), former Prime Minister (2018–2021)
• Valentina Cuppi (PD), current President of the Democratic Party (2020–today), mayor of Marzabotto (2019–today)
• Andrea De Maria (PD), Member of the Chamber of Deputies (2013–today), mayor of Marzabotto (1995–2004)^[7]
• Vasco Errani (Art.1), former President of Emilia-Romagna (1999–2014)
• Cathy La Torre (Independent), lawyer and LGBT activist, municipal councillor for Bologna (2011–2016)^[8]
• Nicola Fratoianni (SI), current Secretary of Italian Left (2017–2019; 2021–today)^[9]
• Enrico Letta (PD), current Secretary of the Democratic Party (2021–today) and former Prime Minister (2013–2014)^[10]
• Virginio Merola (PD), current Mayor of Bologna (2011–today)^[11]
• Dario Nardella (PD), current Mayor of Florence (2014–today)^[12]
• Romano Prodi (Independent), former Prime Minister (1996–1998; 2006–2008)^[13]
• Peppe Provenzano (PD), current Deputy secretary of the Democratic Party (2021–today) and former Minister for Territorial Cohesion (2019–2021)^[14]
• Mattia Santori (Independent), leader of the Sardines movement^[15]
• Elly Schlein (GI), current Vicepresident of Emilia-Romagna (2020–today)^[16]
• Nicola Zingaretti (PD), President of Lazio (2013–today) and former Secretary of the Democratic Party (2019–2021)^[14]

• Alberto Aitini (PD), municipal assessor for Bologna (2016–today)^[17]
• Mauro Felicori (Independent), regional assessor of Culture (2020–today)^[18]
• Gian Luca Galletti (CpE), Minister of Environment (2014–2018), member of the Chamber of Deputies (2006–2013)^[19]
• Elisabetta Gualmini (PD), Member of the European Parliament (2019–today)^[20]
• Marco Lombardo (PD), municipal assessor for Bologna (2016–today)^[21]
• Matteo Renzi (IV), member of the Senate of the Republic (2018–today), former Prime Minister (2014–2016)^[22]
• Giampiero Veronesi (PD), Mayor of Anzola dell'Emilia (2014–today)^[23]

This is a list of the parties (and their respective leaders) which will participate in the election.^[24]