Final results – In the drilling referendum on Sunday 17 April, Italians were called upon to cast their vote in response to the question: "Do you want the active wells in Italian territorial waters to be shut down when their concessions expire, even if gas or oil is still present?". With a turnout of 31.18 per cent and, therefore, the failure to reach the quorum of 50 per cent plus one of those entitled to vote, the final results of the referendum are: 85.8 per cent of votes in favour, equal to 13,334,764 ballot papers, and 14.2 per cent of votes against, equal to 2,198,805 ballot papers.

Monday 18 April, 00:20 – The final turnout at the drilling referendum on Sunday 17 April was 31.18 per cent. This means that the quorum — that is, a turnout equal to 50 per cent plus one of those entitled to vote — was not reached, and the clause of the law relating to the duration of concessions for platforms extracting fossil fuels within twelve miles will not be repealed. These platforms, belonging to various multinationals, will be able to continue extracting gas and oil for as long as reserves remain beneath the seabed.

Matteo Renzi ✓ @matteorenzi

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Risultati ottimi. I lavoratori hanno vinto, qualche consigliere regionale ha perso. Adesso al lavoro per un'Italia più forte #lavoltabuona

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23:30 – Prime Minister Matteo Renzi held a press conference at Palazzo Chigi, where he declared that he had not voted so as not to jeopardise a sector and to protect jobs: "The real winners are the platform workers," Renzi stated, and he described as wasted the more than 300 million euros spent to organise the popular vote.

Michele Emiliano @micheleemiliano

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Sono andate a votare 14 milioni di persone. Un successo strepitoso che impegna il governo a cambiare politica industriale ed energetica

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The President of the Puglia Region, Michele Emiliano, thanked the more than 14 million Italians who went to vote and who called on the government to "change industrial and energy policy".

21:39 – President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella voted in the drilling referendum at 20:38 at a polling station in Palermo.

21:32 – During the afternoon, Democratic Party MP Ernesto Carbone published a tweet mocking the possibility that the quorum would not be reached, following the turnout figures recorded at 12:00: "First they were saying quorum. Then 40. Then 35. Now, for them, the important thing is to take part."

Ernesto Carbone @ernestocarbone

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Prima dicevano quorum. Poi il 40. Poi il 35. Adesso, per loro, l'importante è partecipare #ciaone

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A comment deemed out of place — not only by referendum supporters — because it ridicules all those people who believe in the instrument of the vote as a means of making their voice heard, the foremost instrument of democracy. An instrument won through years of struggle. Journalist Matteo Grandi, for example, replied to him as follows: "There are those who died for the right to vote. And there are dis-honourable members who take the mickey out of those who exercise it." The hashtag #ciaone has been trending on Twitter for hours.

Matteo Grandi @matteograndi

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C'è chi è morto per il diritto di voto.
E ci sono dis-ONOREVOLI che perculano chi lo esercita.

#Ciaone Italia

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20:00 – Second turnout update. The Ministry of the Interior released the definitive turnout figures as at 19:00: 23.48 per cent of eligible Italian voters had cast their ballot. The province of Matera edged ahead of Lecce with 34.20 against 33.79 per cent. The most engaged region remains Basilicata with 33.26 per cent. In the referendum of 12 and 13 June 2011 (when the quorum had been comfortably reached with 57 per cent), more than 30 per cent had voted by 19:00.

17:35 – Politicians, public figures and institutional representatives. A few names and faces who voted in the drilling referendum on 17 April. Voting continues until 23:00.

Only a decree by President Mattarella could facilitate an early vote, but the Head of State does not appear willing

President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella has dissolved the Chamber: voting will take place on 4 March ANSA/ MIKE PALAZZOTTO

Michele Emiliano, president of the Puglia region (Ansa)

Enrico Rossi, president of the Tuscany region

Pietro Grasso, President of the Senate (Ansa)

Piero Pelù, singer-songwriter

Laura Boldrini, President of the Chamber of Deputies (Ansa)

Romano Prodi, former President of the European Commission (Ansa)

Virginia Raggi, candidate for mayor of Rome (agf)

Giuseppe Sala, candidate for mayor of Milan

Luigi De Magistris, mayor of Naples (Ansa)

Luigi Di Maio, Deputy Speaker of the Chamber (Ansa)

3.27 pm – The Facebook page of Il popolo viola recalls that the turnout figure of 8.35 per cent recorded at 12.00 noon is not negative. The last time voting in an abrogative referendum took place over a single day was in 1999. On that occasion the final figure was 49.7 per cent (49.58 per cent excluding the data for residents abroad), meaning quorum was not reached by a margin of just 0.4 per cent. On that 18 April 1999, only 6.7 per cent had voted by noon.

1.27 pm – "The turnout figure as it is shaping up at this moment, without the results from the major cities having come in yet, suggests that quorum could still be reached," said Michele Emiliano, president of Puglia, to the ANSA news agency, commenting on the first turnout data for the referendum. "The result is extraordinary in terms of turnout despite the beautiful weather and the countless calls for abstention." Emiliano stated that "my appeal is to all those who have not yet gone to vote to do so as soon as possible, because quorum is within reach."

1.25 pm – The Ministry of the Interior releases the official turnout figures at noon: 8.35 per cent of eligible Italian voters have cast their ballot. The province with the highest turnout was Lecce at 12.22 per cent. The best-performing region, meanwhile, is Basilicata, which has a strong stake in the question, at 11.44 per cent. At the referendum of 12 and 13 June 2011 (when quorum was comfortably reached with 57 per cent), 11.65 per cent had voted by noon.

Tweets about #BattiQuorum

Voting is open until 11 pm this evening in all regions of Italy, from Valle d'Aosta to Sicily, for the drilling referendum, which calls for the repeal of paragraph 17 of article 6 of Legislative Decree 152 of 3 April 2006 on environmental regulations. The question asks for a halt to the extraction of gas and oil from active fields located at sea within 12 miles, even where these still contain hydrocarbons. A yes vote means asking for drilling to stop at the end of the concessions granted to oil companies; a no vote means keeping the current law unchanged. For the popular referendum to be valid, 50 per cent plus one of those entitled to vote must cast a ballot, as required by the Constitution.