Art. 1. Amendments to the Act No 459 December 27, 2001, laying down rules for the exercise of voting rights of Italian citizens resident abroad. 1. December 27, 2001, law No. 459, are made to the following modifications: a) in art. 7, paragraph 1, the words "consisting of three judges, one of whom acts as Chairman, chosen by the President of the Court of appeal ' shall be replaced by the following:" composed of six judges, one of whom acts as Chairman and one acting as Deputy Chairman, chosen by the President of the Court of appeal. The Office works with the presence of at least three members, including the President or the Vice President. ';
b) art. 12, paragraph 3, after the words "consular offices send» are inserted as follows:" with the postal system more reliable and, where possible, by registered mail, or any other means of similar reliability, '; the same paragraph 3 are deleted the following words: ", the text of this Act";
c) art. 13, paragraph 1, the words "a polling station for every five thousand voters ' shall be replaced by the following: «a polling station for a minimum of two thousand and three thousand voters ';
d) art. 13, paragraph 3 is replaced by the following: "3. The polling station established at each polling station is made up of the President, the Secretary and four tellers, one assumes, to be chosen by the President, the duties of Vice President. The President, before the establishment of the Electoral Office, chooses the Secretary among voters possessing qualifications not less than upper secondary education diploma. ';
e) in art. 14, paragraph 3, point d), number 2), the words "shall affix his signature on the back of each one and ' are deleted. Consequently, tables B and D attached to the December 27, 2001, law No. 459, are replaced by the tables set out in annexes 1 and 2 of this Decree. ((1-bis. The time limit for making the option to vote in Italy under art. 4, paragraph 2, of the law December 27, 2001, # 459, runs, with reference to the political and administrative elections in the year 2008, the date of entry into force of the law converting this Decree. '))
Normative references:-Returns the text of the articles 7, 12, 13 and 14 December 27, 2001, law No. 459 (rules for the exercise of voting rights of Italian citizens resident abroad), as amended by this law: "Art. 7.-1. In the Court of appeal in Rome, within three days from the date of publication in the official journal of the Decree of convocation of campaign rallies, it established the Central Office for the overseas constituency consists of six judges, one of whom acts as Chairman and one acting as Deputy Chairman, chosen by the President of the Court of appeal. The Office works with the presence of at least three members, including the President or the Vice President. ".
«Art. 12.-1. The Interior Ministry delivery to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the lists of candidates and models of ballots no later than the sixth day before the polling date.
2. on the basis of instructions given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, diplomatic missions and consular posts are empowered for that purpose by the Ministry responsible for the printing of electoral material to insert in envelope referred to in paragraph 3 and to the cases referred to in paragraph 5.
3. No later than 18 days before the date set for the vote in Italy, consular offices shall send with the postal system more reliable and, where possible, by registered mail, or any other means of similar reliability, availability to voters who have not exercised the option provided for in art. 1, paragraph 3, the envelope containing the election certificate, the ballot and its envelope and a stamped envelope bearing the address of the competent consular office; the envelope contains, also a sheet with the indications of modalities for the casting of votes, and the lists of candidates in the breakdown of membership referred to in art. 6.
4. In the case that ballots are more than one for each voter, they are sent in the same envelope and shall be sent by the elector in single envelope. A package cannot contain electoral documents more than a voter.
5. The electors referred to in this article, to fourteen days from the date of voting in Italy, have not received at home the package referred to in paragraph 3 can apply to the head of the consular post; These, to the voter that present personally, can release after annotation on a special register, another electoral certificate affixed with sticker and a second ballot which must be sent in accordance with the methods referred to in paragraphs 4 and 6 of this article.
6. Once expressed his vote on the ballot, the voter introduces in the appropriate envelope or card ballots, seal the envelope, stamped envelope along with cutting into detached from electoral certificate proving the exercise of voting rights and the forwards not later than the tenth day before the date set for the vote in Italy. Cards and envelopes shall not bear any signs of recognition.
7. The responsible consular offices shall send without delay to the Central Office for the overseas constituency still envelopes received up to 16 hours, local time, on the Thursday prior to the date set for the vote in Italy, together with the number of voters in the consular communications which have not exercised the option provided for in art. 1, paragraph 3.
The envelopes are sent with a unique shipping by air and by diplomatic bag.
8. The Heads of consular posts shall, after submission of proposals in Italy, the immediate incineration of ballots received after the deadline

period referred to in paragraph 7 and those printed for the cases referred to in paragraph 5 and not used. The minutes shall be drawn up of such operations, which is transmitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "
«Art. 13.-1. At the Central Office for the overseas constituency consists of a polling station for a minimum of 2,000 and a maximum of three thousand voters living abroad who have not exercised the option under art. 1, paragraph 3, with the task of providing for the counting of votes and counting operations sent by voters. Each polling station is responsible for the perusal of grades from a single allocation under art. 6, paragraph 1. The allocation of envelopes containing the tabs to individual seats is made by the Central Office for the overseas constituency.
2. For the setting up of seats, for the fees payable to the respective components and methods of carrying out the examination and of the poll of votes shall apply, mutatis mutandis, the provisions of art. 6 of Decree-Law No 408 June 24, 1994, converted, with amendments, by law no August 3, 1994. 483, meaning replaced the reference to the elections office with reference to the Central Office for the overseas constituency.
3. The polling station established at each polling station is made up of the President, the Secretary and four tellers, one assumes, to be chosen by the President, the duties of Vice President. The President, before the establishment of the Electoral Office, chooses the Secretary among voters possessing qualifications not less than upper secondary education diploma.».
«Art. 14.-1. The count, attended by representatives from list, take place at the same time as count of the votes cast in the national territory.
2. Together with the envelope containing the envelopes sent by the voters, the Central Office for the overseas constituency delivered to President vacant genuine copy of the list referred to in paragraph 1 of art. 5, citizens entitled to voting by correspondence in the allocation is assigned.
3. Formed the polling, the President goes to the opening of proposals and of the envelopes assigned to a bid by the Central Office for the overseas constituency and, subsequently, to the polls. To that end, the President, assisted by the Vice-President and Secretary: a) ensures that the number of envelopes received matches the number of envelopes listed in list compiled and delivered together with the envelopes by the Central Office for the overseas constituency;
b) ascertains contextually that the envelopes received come only from one foreign election breakdown;
c) proceeds following the opening of each outer envelope making to each of them the following: 1) ensures that the envelope contains the coupon election certificate to a single voter and the second envelope which must be taken in the card or, in the case of contextual vote for the election of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic, with the casting of votes;
2) ensures that the coupon included in the envelope belongs to elector on the list referred to in paragraph 2;
3) ensures that the envelope containing the adapter or adapters with the voting is closed, integrates and does not bear any signs of recognition and inserts it in the appropriate ballot box sealed;
4) cancel, without proceeding to the voting ballot, the tabs in an envelope that contains more than one electoral certificate, coupon or a voter who has voted more than once, or non-electoral division assigned voter or contained in an open envelope, torn apart or that bears signs of recognition; Anyway separates from its electoral certificate coupon envelope bearing the card cancelled so that it is not possible to proceed with identification of the vote;
d) when completely open the outer envelopes and inserts the ballot box sealed with all inners bearing the card with the casting of votes, shall carry out the counting operations. To this end: 1) the Vice-President of the seat pulls out later from pot each of the envelopes containing the card bearing the casting of votes; Open the envelope imprinted stamp the back of each card section in the space provided;
2) President, received the card, States aloud the voting for which this vote is expressed and, in the case of contextual vote for the election of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, sets out the vote for which the rating is expressed and over the Board to Secretary;
3) Secretary sets out aloud the votes cast and takes note of the vote for each list and of each candidate; Thus the ballots counted within separate boxes for each vote.
4. All transactions referred to in paragraph 3 are fulfilled in this order; the performance and outcome of each one is mentioned in the report.
5. To count, bare and endorsement of the boards the provisions brought in articles 67 and 68, 45 of the consolidated text of the laws containing rules for the election of the Chamber of Deputies, referred to in the Decree of the President of the Republic March 30, 1957, n.
361, as amended, unless otherwise provided for in this article. '.