VOTING BY MAIL FOR ITALIAN CITIZENS RESIDING ABROAD AND OPTION TO VOTE IN ITALY
By decree of the President of the Republic dated 13 January 2026, published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale on 14 January 2026, the dates of 22 and 23 MARCH 2026 have been set for the referendum pursuant to Article 138 of the Constitution, concerning amendments to certain articles of the Constitution (so-called “Justice Reform”).
It is recalled that VOTING is a RIGHT protected by the Italian Constitution and that, pursuant to Law No. 459 of 27 December 2001, Italian citizens residing or temporarily staying abroad, registered on the electoral lists, may VOTE BY MAIL, receiving their electoral package at their residence address. To this end, it is recommended to check and, if necessary, immediately update one’s personal and address details with the competent Consular Office (under Italian law, electoral packages must be sent approximately one month before the vote in Italy), preferably using the online consular services portal Fast It.
As an alternative to voting by mail, registered AIRE electors may choose to vote in Italy at their municipality of registration by submitting their choice (OPTION) in writing to the Consulate within ten days of the announcement of the referendum. The choice (option) to vote in Italy applies only to the specific referendum for which it is expressed.
The OPTION must be received by the Consular Office no later than ten days after the announcement of the consultation, i.e., by 24 January 2026.
For this purpose, a dedicated form is available for download from the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (www.esteri.it) and from that of the relevant Consular Office.
The completed and signed form, accompanied by an identity document, may be submitted or sent to the relevant Consular Office in person, by post, by ordinary email, or by certified electronic mail (PEC). Relevant addresses are available on the website of the respective Consulate.
The communication of the option may also be submitted on plain paper; in any case, to be valid, it must include the elector’s first name, surname, date and place of birth, place of residence and signature, and must be sent together with a copy of an identity document.
Current legislation requires electors to ensure that their postal communication of the option has been received in due time by the relevant Consular Office. Requests received after the above deadline will not be considered valid.
The choice to vote in Italy may subsequently be REVOKED by a written communication submitted to the Consular Office using the same methods and within the same deadline provided for exercising the option.
The law DOES NOT provide for reimbursement of travel expenses incurred to return to Italy for voting purposes, but tariff concessions are available within the Italian territory.
ISSUANCE OF DUPLICATE BALLOTS
Voters are hereby informed that, STARTING SUNDAY 8 MARCH 2026, those who have not received their postal ballot for the Constitutional Referendum of 22–23 March 2026 at their registered address may request a replacement (DUPLICATE) ballot from the competent Consulate or Embassy for their place of residence.
The duplicate request may be submitted in person at the Consular Office or sent by post, standard email or certified email (PEC) to the relevant Consulate or Embassy. The request – which can be completed using the form available here – must be accompanied by a valid identification document.
Voters requesting a duplicate ballot must declare that they are aware of the criminal penalties for double voting, as provided under Article 18, paragraph 2, of Law 459/2001, which states: “Anyone who, on the occasion of elections to the Chambers or referendums, votes both by post and at their last registered polling station in Italy, or votes more than once by post, shall be punished with imprisonment from one to three years and with a fine of EUR 52 to EUR 258”.
Upon completion of the necessary verifications, the competent Consular Office will provide instructions to the voter regarding the issuance of the duplicate ballot. The duplicate ballot may be sent to the voter’s registered address, provided there is sufficient time for delivery, or alternatively collected in person during the opening hours indicated by the Consular Office.
For further information, please consult the website of the relevant Consular Office.
Finally, voters are reminded that prepaid envelopes containing completed ballots must be received by the Consulate no later than 4:00 p.m. on Thursday 19 March 2026.
IRAN AND BAHRAIN: INSTRUCTIONS
The current crisis affecting the Gulf region has prevented the Embassy in Tehran from dispatching ballots; likewise, the disruption of local postal services has made it impossible for staff at the Embassy in Manama to carry out dispatches.
Voters currently in Italy may exercise their right to vote at their local municipal office, even if they did not submit the option to vote from abroad within the legally prescribed deadlines, in accordance with current regulations on voting from abroad and the relevant ministerial instructions. Voters are therefore encouraged to present themselves at their municipal office in the days preceding the vote to verify their electoral status.
In addition to the option of voting in Italy, voters in Bahrain may request their postal ballot via email and collect it at the Embassy in Manama starting Wednesday 11 March, provided that security conditions allow.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR RELEVANT CONSULAR OFFICE.
