Italian citizens living outside of Italy have always had the "De Jure" "right" to vote in all referendums and elections being held in Italy (provided they had registered their residence abroad with their relevant consulate). However until late 2001, any citizen wishing to vote, was required to "physically" return to the city or town in Italy where he or she was registered on the electoral roll. The "only" exception to this rule was for the Italian elections to the european parliament in which voters could cast their ballot at their nearest consulate but only if they had their residence in one of the other 14 European Union nations.