Abstract

A geographic perspective is used to compare and contrast patterns of political participation between first- and second-order elections. Changes in support for the Northern League (LN) between the 2006 and 2008 national, 2009 European and 2010 regional contests are mapped and evaluated with formal spatial analyses. Results show that support for the LN expanded across the North between 2006 and 2010, and into the traditionally «red region» of Emilia-Romagna. This analysis also reveals that patterns of electoral change for the LN are neither consistent in magnitude nor geography between election years or election types.