Disagio sociale e voto referendario a Palermo

Based on a well-established strand of research that correlates the territorial distribution of socio-economic distress with electoral behavior, the article outlines a geography of socio-economic hardship in the suburban areas of the city of Palermo, making it possible to identify zones of relative well-being alongside peripheral areas marked by a high concentration of social distress. The analysis then relates these territorial inequalities to the geography of electoral behavior among the city’s population during the 2026 constitutional referendum. The article provides empirically compelling evidence that socio-economic peripheralization translates into political peripheralization: unequal access to education, employment, and services affects not only individual life trajectories but also citizens’ capacity to feel represented within the democratic process. The widespread and cross-cutting negative vote further suggests that, beyond the specific subject of the referendum, a significant share of the electorate interpreted the consultation as an opportunity to express a broader judgment on governing trajectories and, more profoundly, to demand recognition.