POPULAR REFERENDUM ON CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM 25 - 26 JUNE 2006 ITALIAN EXPATRIATES' RIGHT TO VOTE BY POST On June 25th and 26th the referendum for the approval of the "Modifications to the Second Part of the Constitution" will take place in Italy. These modifications would federalise the Italian regions, giving them more control over public spending and services such as the police, health service and schools. It would reduce the number of Senators (from 315 to 252) and Deputies (from 630 to 500) in Parliament and would create a stronger Prime Minister (he will not need to pass a vote of confidence when he is first elected, he will determine government policies rather than simply managing them, and will have the power to nominate or sack ministers). The minimum age of Parliamentarians would be reduced from 25 to 21 for Deputies and from 40 to 25 for Senators. In Italy, people will vote at their town halls on the days of Sunday 25th and Monday 26th June. Abroad, Italian citizens registered in the electoral lists of the foreign constituency can vote by post before June 22nd. Each elector will be sent an electoral pack by June 7th, which will contain an information sheet, an electoral certificate, a ballot paper, a white envelope and a pre-paid envelope. Having carefully read the instructions, the elector must then return the ballot papers to us without delay so that it can reach the Consulate no later than 4pm of June 22nd. Electors who have not received their ballot papers by June 11th can come to the Consulate to verify their situation and ask for a duplicate. Italian citizens resident abroad are not obliged to vote by post. Law 459 lays down that the voter can opt to exercise his right to vote in Italy, by returning to Italy and voting for the candidates standing for the constituency in the relative national section in which the voter is registered. The voter who intends to return to Italy to vote will have to communicate this fact to their Consulate by filling in the form which can be downloaded here. This choice is valid for a single election or referendum.