First year

Voting from Abroad: The International IDEA Handbook,page 83

http://www.idea.int/publications/voting_from_abroad/upload/chap1.pdf

In addition toproviding for the external vote for elections to the legislature andreferendums, the constitutional reforms approved in Italy in 2000 stated thatcitizens abroad are provided with representation in both chambers of theparliament—12 seats in the House of Representatives and six in the Senate.These constitutional arrangements were regulated by a specific law enacted inearly 2002, a few months after the May 2001 elections, and Italians abroadwould gain political representation only after the subsequent legislativeelections. For that purpose, the law foresaw the creation of four electoraldistricts abroad: one for Europe, another one for South America, the third forNorth America and Central America and the last to cover Africa, Asia, Oceaniaand Antarctica, for both chambers. For every district a minimum of one deputyseat and one senator seat will be assigned, and the remaining ones will bedistributed in accordance with the number of external voters. External votingtook place for the first time in a referendum held in May 2003.

Constitution of the Italian Republic

Art. 48

Any citizen,male or female, who has attained majority, is entitled to vote.

The vote ispersonal and equal, free and secret. The exercise thereof is a civic duty. Thelaw lays down the requirements and modalities for citizens residing abroad toexercise their right to vote and guarantees that this right is effective. Aconstituency of Italians abroad shall be established for

elections tothe Houses of Parliament; the number of seats of such constituency is set forthin a constitutional provision according to criteria established by law.

The right tovote cannot be restricted except for civil incapacity or as a consequence of anirrevocable penal sentence or in cases of moral unworthiness as laid down bylaw.

Art. 75

(…)

Any citizenentitled to vote for the Chamber of deputies has the right to vote in areferendum.

(…)

http://www.senato.it/documenti/repository/istituzione/costituzione_inglese.pdf

Law 459 of 27 December 2001 Provisions governing the right to vote ofItalian citizens resident abroad

Article 1

1. Italiancitizens resident abroad, registered in the register of electors as set forthin Article 5, paragraph 1, shall vote in the Overseas Constituency, pursuant toArticle 48 of the Constitution, for the election of the Chambers and for thereferendums envisaged by Articles 75 and 138 of the Constitution, within thelimits and forms envisaged by the present law.

2. Theelectors referred to in paragraph 1 shall vote by post.

3. Theelectors referred to in paragraph 1 may exercise the right to vote in Italy,and in this case shall vote in the constituency on Italian territorycorresponding to the electoral division in which they are registered, subjectto their exercising the option to do so. This option shall be exercisedseparately for each poll and shall be valid only for this same poll.