Exit polls from Italy's elections suggest no party will win a majority

Laura Lezza/Getty Images

An electoral manifesto is displayed on the streets during the electoral vote on March 4, 2018 in Florence, Italy.

• Italy voted in a national election on Sunday, with polls closing at 11 p.m. local time.
• Early exit polls suggest no party will have enough votes to form a majority government, but full election results will be released Monday morning.
• Immigration tops the list of priorities for Italian voters, followed by unemployment and the economy.

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.

Unemployment and issues relating to economic growth are also high on voters' agenda, with Italy's gross domestic product remaining 5.7% lower than before the global financial crisis.