Italian citizens living abroad and regularly registered with AIRE may exercise their right to vote abroad in their place of residence for national elections, for abrogative and constitutional referendums under Articles 75 and 138 of the Constitution and for European Parliament elections. Voting abroad for national elections and referendums is governed by Law No. 459 of December 27, 2001 and its implementing regulations (Presidential Decree No. 104 of April 2, 2003), implementing Articles 48, 56 and 57 of the Constitution, which established the Overseas Constituency. Law No. 52 of May 6, 2015 (the so-called “Italicum”) laid down that citizens temporarily abroad for a period of at least three months for work, study or medical treatment may also request their Municipality to vote abroad by correspondence. The provision will take effect for the election of the Chamber of Deputies as from July 1, 2016, while it is immediately effective for any referendum held after the entry into force of the Law (May 23, 2015).
Voting abroad for the election of Italian representatives to the European Parliament is instead regulated by Law No. 18 of January 24, 1979 and by Decree-Law No. 408 of June 24, 1994 (converted into Law No. 483 of August 3, 1994).
Italian voters living abroad and duly registered with AIRE may also vote for the election of the representatives of COMITES – Committees of Italians Abroad (Law No. 286 of October 23, 2003).