Elections: taking part in municipal elections
If you are a citizen of an EU Member State resident in Italy and you wish to vote in municipal and local elections, you must submit a specific application to the mayor of the Italian municipality in which you are resident within 40 days of the election.
Right of EU citizens resident in Italy to vote and to stand as a candidate in municipal elections
In your application, you must state:
- your citizenship;
- your address;
- your address in your country of origin;
- a request to be included in the resident population register for the municipality, if you are not already entered in that register;
- a request for subsequent inclusion in the electoral roll.
Along with the application, you must submit a solemn declaration of a valid identity document.
EU citizens included on the electoral roll remain registered until they request that their name to be removed or it is automatically removed.
Even if an EU citizen requests that they be included on the electoral roll, there is no obligation to vote, nor is there any penalty for failure to exercise the right to vote.
Inclusion on the electoral roll enables an EU citizen to vote in mayoral and municipal council elections and local elections.
Citizens of an EU Member State, if included on the electoral roll, may stand for election to the municipal council, but not for election as mayor. They may also be appointed as a municipal councillor, but not as deputy mayor.
Relevant legislation
Law No 52 of 6 February 1996 on fulfilling the obligations arising from Italy’s membership of the European Community – 1994 Community law.
Legislative Decree No 197 of 12 April 1996 implementing Directive 94/80/EC laying down detailed arrangements for the exercise of the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in municipal elections by citizens of the Union residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals.
This page is part of the European Commission’s Your Europe portal.
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