And yet it moves. Slowly and very complicatedly, but something about the non-resident vote it moves. The Constitutional Affairs Committee of the Senate has in fact given the unanimous green light to the Fratelli d'Italia amendment which gives non-resident students the opportunity to vote in the next elections European elections scheduled for 8 and 9 June 2024. The proposal was signed by all groups, despite its obvious shortcomings. The Democratic Party has already announced the presentation of a new amendment, this time in the Chamber, which will ask to extend non-resident voting also to those who are far from their residence for reasons of work or health. THEFdI's amendment is in fact very restrictive: gives only students the opportunity to vote, excluding workers and those who are outside the municipality of residence for medical reasons and establishes a very, very complicated voting mechanism. Not only that, it will be valid - on an experimental basis - only and exclusively for the European elections.
Non-residents: who can vote and who can't at the European elections in June
The Fdi amendment concerns only and exclusively the male and female students who live far from their municipality of residence, giving them the experimental opportunity to vote in the European elections on 8-9 June. In simple words, it would be a first test, in view (hopefully) of a future structural change and also extended to other categories. In fact, two big "buts" weigh on the amendment. The first: they will not have the opportunity to vote either off-site workers, nor those who are outside their municipality of residence for exampler reasons for care. For these categories nothing will essentially change compared to the past. If they want to exercise their right to vote, they will have to get in their car, take a bus, train or plane and go home.
The second, however, concerns precisely the elections: on 8 and 9 June 2024 in 3.702 Italian municipalities out of 7.896 there will be voting not only for the European elections, but also for the municipal ones. Well, the amendment gives the possibility to choose one's representatives only for the former. Those who want to choose their local representatives will have to return to their city of residence.
Voting for non-residents: how does it work? Very complicated procedure
But the situation becomes further complicated when you take a look at the established rules. The amendment, in fact, provides two different procedures depending on the constituency where you are domiciled: North East, North West, Centre, South and Islands.
The male and female students non-residents domiciled in the same district they will have the opportunity to vote at a polling station in the municipality in which they are domiciled. It will be sufficient to submit a request to the municipality of residence at least 35 days before the elections. At that point the administration will have 15 days to give the ok and send the request to the Municipality of domicile, which will have to provide the authorization to be presented to the applicant at the polling station at least within 5 days before the elections, i.e. by on June 3, 2024.
This is the simplest procedure. However, everything becomes much more complicated those who live in a different constituency from that of residence. The reason? The candidates are different and therefore everything changes.
In this case, the student will not be able to vote in the municipality in which he lives, but will have to go to the ccapital of the region in which you have your domicile. A "special voting section" will be set up there for every 800 non-local voters admitted to voting. Taking a practical example: a Sicilian student who lives in Pavia will still have to go to Milan to exercise his right to vote. This is what concerns the European elections. If he also wants to vote for the municipal elections, however, he will have to return to Sicily, time and money permitting.
