By decree of the Italian Embassy dated September 3, elections have been called to renew the Committee of Italians Abroad. Voting takes place by mail, but the ballot package is sent only to those who request it by November 4. Two lists are in the running.
On December 4, San Marino will renew its Comites (Comitato degli Italiani all’Estero, the Committee of Italians Abroad), the body established under Italian law to represent citizens living outside national borders in dialogue with diplomatic, consular and local institutions. The committee serves a five-year term, and the current mandate has now expired.
The election was called by decree of the Italian Embassy in San Marino on September 3, 2026. The new committee will consist of 12 elected members.
Voting takes place by mail, and this is where a crucial detail can easily be overlooked: the ballot is not sent out automatically. It must be requested.
All Italian citizens residing in San Marino are eligible to vote, including dual Italian-Sammarinese citizens, provided they meet the requirements for active voting rights and have been registered with AIRE for at least six months as of December 4.
However, simple registration with AIRE (the registry of Italians residing abroad) is not enough on its own. To receive the voting package at home, citizens must expressly request inclusion in the electoral roll by November 4, 2026.
The application form is available on the Embassy’s website, www.ambsanmarino.esteri.it, and can be submitted by post, by email to consolare.sanmarino@esteri.it, in person at the Embassy during public opening hours (daily, including Fridays, from 9am to 12:30pm), dropped in the letterbox, or submitted through the Fast.it portal.
The completed ballot package must then reach the Embassy by December 4.
Candidate lists close on October 3
The preparatory phase is already underway. Candidate lists must be submitted by October 3, 2026, and must include at least as many names as there are seats to be filled, up to a maximum of 16 candidates.
Each list must be accompanied by the signatures of at least one hundred Italian citizens residing in San Marino who meet the requirements for active voting rights and have been registered with AIRE for at least six months as of December 4. Signatures must be authenticated by the Embassy, which provides this service free of charge.
For signature authentication, offices are open Monday to Thursday from 2pm to 3pm and Friday from 10am to noon, with no appointment necessary. A special opening is also scheduled for Saturday, October 3, from 10am to noon, with staff available on call until midnight that same day.
The two lists in the running
Two lists have announced their candidacy and are currently gathering the necessary signatures.
“I Cittadini per i Cittadini” (“Citizens for Citizens”) is headed by Dr. Nicola Cautero, alongside fifteen other members. Among its stated goals are boosting participation among Italian citizens living in San Marino and bringing to the attention of both Italian and Sammarinese institutions the difficulties faced by fellow citizens.
“ReSpubblica – Italiani a San Marino” (“ReSpubblica – Italians in San Marino”) is headed by Dr. Emidio Troiani. This list emphasizes the strategic importance of the committee on the Titano, where the Italian community numbers in the thousands and is deeply embedded in the Republic’s economic, professional and social fabric. Its central themes include pensions, cross-border taxation, healthcare, cross-border mobility, citizenship rights and family protections.
A call to vote
The outgoing president of Comites San Marino, Alessandro Amadei, is urging Italian citizens to take part in the vote: voting, he stresses, means choosing and having a real impact on the present and future of the community and its territories.
Amadei also highlighted the work carried out over the past five years under his leadership, an administration he believes has successfully represented citizens’ concerns and provided adequate responses to their requests.
