Berlusconi pledged to deport illegal immigrants should his center-right coalition win.
Laura Lezza/Getty Images
An electoral manifesto is displayed on the streets during the electoral vote on March 4, 2018 in Florence, Italy.
Exit polls
suggest a hung parliament is a possibility after Italy went to the polls on Sunday.
Polls for the national election closed at 11 p.m. local time, and full results will be released Monday morning.
The elections have been a face-off between three major groups: Billionaire ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's center-right coalition, the ruling center-left Democratic Party, and the populist Five Star party, who were previously leading in the polls but have vowed not to enter into a coalition with any of their rivals, should they succeed.Latest figures from local media show Berlusconi's Forza Italia party and his center-right coalition winning most parliamentary seats, with anti-establishment Five-Star party placing second, and the center-left bloc placing third.
Five-Star is expected to be the biggest single party, but will likely not win an absolute majority required to win.
Analysts long said it was unclear who would emerge victorious, according to the BBC .
Italian President Sergio Mattarella called for elections after dissolving the parliament in December.
In terms of voter priorities, immigration topped the list. Since 2013, more than 600,000 migrants have reached Italy and the influx has upset many voters, with politicians toughening their stance as a result.
Berlusconi pledged to deport illegal immigrants should his center-right coalition win.
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