It was unclear what actual effect the church's efforts had on the turnout. Many political analysts did note that there has been a growing fatigue among voters in Italy over referendums in recent years.

Essentially, for a referendum to be valid, more than 50 percent of eligible voters must cast ballots. The voting on Sunday and Monday, only 25.9 percent the eligible voters actually went to the polls. The turnout was so low that both sides of the stem cell research debate were surprised.

The goal behind this referendum was to abrogate four sections of Law 40, which has thusfar given an embryo the same judicial status as a person. Law 40 further prohibits sperm and egg donations, the freezing of embryos, the implantation of more than three fertilized embryos, and the medical screening of those embryos prior to implantation or research using human embryos.

These restrictions have are seen to be the cause of many childless Italian couples to seek fertility treatments abroad.

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