CONFIRMATORY CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM ON 22 and 23 March 2026
POSTAL VOTING FOR ITALIAN CITIZENS ABROAD
AND OPTION TO VOTE IN ITALY
By decree of the President of the Republic dated 13/01/2026, published in the Official Gazette on 14/01/2026, the date of the referendum pursuant to Article 138 of the Constitution for the amendment of certain articles of the Constitution (known as the “Justice Reform”) has been set for 22 and 23 MARCH 2026.
Please note that VOTING is a RIGHT protected by the Italian Constitution and that, according to Law No. 459 of 27 December 2001, Italian citizens residing or temporarily abroad who are registered on the electoral roll may VOTE BY POST, receiving the electoral package at their address of residence. To this end, it is recommended that you check and, if necessary, immediately regularise your personal details and address with the relevant consular office (please note that by law, electoral packages must be sent almost a month before the date of the vote in Italy), preferably using the Fast It online consular services portal.
As an alternative to postal voting, voters registered with AIRE may choose to vote in Italy at their municipality of electoral registration, communicating their choice (OPTION) in writing to the Consulate within 10 days of the announcement of the referendum. The choice (option) to vote in Italy is valid only for the 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 referendum, i.e. BY 24/01/2026.
For this communication, you can use the appropriate form (click here to download it).
The form, duly completed, signed and accompanied by an identity document, can be sent/delivered:
–by ordinary email to cgjohannesburg.elett@esteri.it;
–by hand, to the Consulate General of Italy in Johannesburg, 37, 2nd Street, Houghton Estate, 2198, Johannesburg, Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The notification of choice may also be written on plain paper; in any case, to be valid, it must contain the voter’s first name, surname, date and place of birth, place of residence and signature, and must be sent together with a copy of the declarant’s identity document.
Current legislation requires voters to verify that the notification of choice sent by post has been received in good time by their consular office. Requests received after the above deadline will NOT be considered valid.
The choice to vote in Italy may be subsequently REVOKED by sending or delivering a written communication to the consular office in the same manner and by the same date as that specified for exercising the option.
The law does NOT provide for any reimbursement of travel expenses incurred for returning to Italy to vote, but only for reduced fares within Italy.