Italian voters residing abroad

The Italian citizens residing abroad are entitled to vote by mail for candidates running for the electoral college of a foreign country. Consular offices forward an envelope containing the electoral certificate, the electoral ballot, a pre-stamped envelope for sending back the ballot to the consulate, the lists of candidates running for the electoral college voters belong to (Europe, South America, North and Central America, Asia-Africa-Oceania, Antartic), a sheet giving instructions to vote and a copy of the electoral law. 

Vote is cast by marking, by a cross or bar, the symbol of a chosen list or, in any case, by putting a mark inside the rectangular space including it; voters can also cast two preference ballots in the geographical areas to which two or more deputies or senators are assigned (Europe, South America and for the Chamber of Deputies; Europe and Central America for the Senate) and one preference ballot in the remaining areas, by writing down the name of the candidate in the line close to the symbol of the voted list. 

Furthermore, the voter shall return the envelope to the Consulate of reference within ten days of the election date fixed in Italy.
If voters residing abroad do not receive the electoral envelope within 14 days of the election date in Italy, they can apply for it at the Consulate. 

They can also opt to vote for candidates running for electoral colleges in Italy at the polling places whose lists they are enrolled in. In this case, the so-called elettore optante (voter making the option) shall inform by written communication his/her Consulate of reference within ten day of the election date. Italian voters residing in countries having not concluded ad hoc agreements with the Italian government are not entitled to cast their ballots: they must receive a special notice-card.