The election took place before the end of the legislature because the incumbent mayor Flavio Delbono, who was under investigation after the Cinziagate scandal.

Delbono was forced to announce his resignation as mayor on 25 January 2010 following the revelation that he was being investigated for crimes such as embezzlement, fraud and aggravated abuse of office.

[3] His resignation was confirmed on 28 January following the approval of an emergency budget, the election to appoint Delbono's successor must take place by 28 March 2010.

[4] For 15 months, Bologna was governed under a special commissioner, Anna Maria Cancellieri, an exceptional event in post-war Italian politics.

The voting system is used for all mayoral elections in Italy, in the city with a population higher than 15,000 inhabitants.