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Con Voi - Manchester Comites Elections 2026 Con Voi: MIE & Italia4Italy

Com.It.Es. Elections - Manchester Consular District 2026

Con Voi

An independent, community-led group of candidates, formed to continue and expand our work leading Manchester Comites in recent years. We want every Italian community across the North of England to have a voice on Comites, bringing together the expertise and experience of MIE and Italia4Italy.

During our time leading Manchester Comites, we have turned the community's concerns into tangible results:

  • A dedicated task force to support the Consulate, tackling delays with passports, identity cards and AIRE applications: a campaign that took us all the way to a hearing at the Italian Chamber of Deputies on the state of consular services.
  • The "Gocce d'Italia" project, an 18-part documentary series telling the stories of more than 130 Italians in the United Kingdom.
  • Free information webinars on the EU Settlement Scheme, travel rules and Italian tax identification numbers, helping people navigate procedures, rights and services in the UK.
  • Consular representation on the Isle of Man, with the process of appointing a consular correspondent launched in August.
  • Visits and meetings across the consular district to listen to Italian residents and understand their needs.
How to vote Read our programme The current Comites

Comites gives the Italian community a voice in its dealings with public institutions. Its statutory responsibilities also include helping Italians settle into local life, promoting Italian language and culture, and preserving the history of Italian migration. We want a Comites that represents the whole Italian community across the district and stands up for every Italian citizen.

You can only vote if you register by 4 November. Choose who will speak for you at the Consulate: register to vote.

Our candidates

Ours is the only candidate list put together to ensure equal opportunities and effective representation of all Italian communities, as required by the law establishing Comites (Article 5, paragraph 3).
Click on each candidate to find out more.

    Our programme

    Here is how we plan to continue representing, supporting and strengthening the Italian community in the North of England.

    A strong voice for Italians in the North of England

    We will continue to raise our community's concerns consistently, not only with the Manchester Consulate, but also with the Embassy, the General Council of Italians Abroad (CGIE), the Ministry, the Government and Parliament. Through ongoing scrutiny, cooperation and advocacy, we will work to improve access to essential services and their quality for Italian citizens and businesses living and operating in the North of England.

    • More resources and better consular services. We will continue to use every tool available to Comites to press for action on waiting times for passports, identity cards, AIRE and civil registration, and on the difficulties people face when trying to contact consular offices, just as we successfully did with the task force. We will keep pressing for the resources the Consulate needs to offer more appointments and end the deeply frustrating Prenot@mi "lottery".
    • Simpler procedures and clearer information. We will set up a working group to help the Consulate produce simpler forms, easy-to-follow instructions, clear checklists for each service and consistent guidance on the documents required, processing times and procedures, with translations into several languages.
    • Modernise and digitise consular procedures. We will work with the Consulate and the Ministry to identify which paper-based or postal procedures could be simplified or moved online, starting with passport renewals, photo authentication for children, issuing certificates, and population register and AIRE applications.
    • No one should be left behind. We will pay particular attention to older people, disabled people and those facing difficulties, negotiating easier access to consular services and free assistance at the Comites office so that the move to digital services does not shut anyone out of essential support.

    In recent years, the partnership between MIE and Italia4Italy has helped Comites move beyond years of inaction and start delivering tangible results. It secured a task force to strengthen consular services, brought the community's concerns to national institutions, secured consular representation on the Isle of Man, supported consular visits across the district, and promoted cultural, information and heritage projects. Help us continue this work: vote "Con Voi"!

    How to vote

    Comites elections are held by post. You must be registered on the electoral roll to vote.

    1. 1

      Check that you are eligible

      You can vote if you are an Italian citizen aged 18 or over and have been registered with AIRE in the Manchester consular district (see the area covered) since at least 4 June 2026. Contact us with any questions!

    2. 2

      Register to vote using SPID or CIE

      With a digital identity (SPID or CIE), you can register without printing anything. Click here, sign in with SPID or CIE, go to the population register section and select the option to register on the electoral roll for Comites elections. Follow the steps: tick the boxes, generate the form and submit it to the Consulate. You must do this by 4 November: do not leave it until the last minute!

      Go to Fast-IT
    3. 2b

      Register to vote using a paper form

      You can still register without a digital identity. Fill in the electoral registration form and sign it by hand. Take a photo or scan of the form and email it to consmanchester.elettorale@esteri.it, attaching a copy of an identity document that shows your signature. You must do this by 4 November: do not leave it until the last minute!

      Download the form
    4. 3

      Receive your voting pack

      Once your registration has been checked, your voting pack, including the ballot paper, will be sent in November to the home address you provided on the form.

    5. 4

      Vote and post your ballot paper

      Put a cross on the "Con Voi" list symbol. You may also choose up to six candidates from our list by putting a cross beside each of their names. Return your ballot paper by post in the prepaid envelope provided, following the deadlines set out in your voting pack.

    For the official voting procedures and the latest deadlines, visit the Italian Consulate in Manchester's website:
    consmanchester.esteri.it - Comites Elections 2026

    Contact us

    Get in touch with any questions about our programme, our candidates or voting.

    convoi.lista@gmail.com

    In the news

    Manchester Comites: “Con Voi” unveils its manifesto (AISE)

    Manchester Comites: “Con Voi” unveils its manifesto (ItaliaChiamaItalia)

    Manchester Comites: “Con Voi” presents its manifesto (Il Globo)

    Comites 2026: candidate lists take shape worldwide as Italian communities prepare for elections (Allora!)



    Manchester Comites: “Con Voi” takes its campaign on the road, collecting signatures in Birmingham and Leeds (ItaliaChiamaItalia)

    Ahead of the Manchester Comites elections: “Con Voi” collects signatures in Birmingham and Leeds (AISE)

    Manchester Comites elections: new civic list “Con Voi” launches (Inform)

    COMITES 2026: a drive for greater participation begins in Manchester (Italynews.it)



    Manchester Comites elections: “Con Voi” candidate list announced (Il Globo)

    Manchester Comites elections: “Con Voi” introduces its team (AISE)

    Signature collection begins as “Con Voi” introduces its team (Complitaly News)

    Coming soon

    Campaign materials

    Download, share and distribute these materials to support our campaign.

    Voter registration form Our logo "Vote Con Voi" card Voter registration poster Flyer: registering to vote Flyer: how to register to vote Programme poster

    What is Comites?

    Comites is the Committee of Italians Abroad, directly elected by Italian citizens living in the consular district to represent their community in its dealings with the Consulate and Italian institutions. Its members are unpaid volunteers. It gives Italians living here a collective voice, bringing their concerns, needs and proposals to the institutions that can address them.

    On the current Manchester Comites website you can read about its work in recent years: improving consular services, keeping the community informed, promoting Italian language and culture, and helping Italian citizens. We want to continue and expand this work: find out more.

    Representation

    Brings the Italian community's needs to the Consulate and other institutions, puts forward proposals, offers opinions and raises issues affecting citizens living in the district.

    Rights and information

    Works with the Consulate to protect the rights and interests of Italians abroad and helps share useful information about the services and opportunities available.

    Community building

    Works with associations, organisations and local groups, promoting initiatives that support integration, young people, welfare, schools, training and the community's social life.

    Language and culture

    Helps maintain the connection with Italy and promotes Italian language, culture, history and migration heritage, involving younger generations too.

    Manchester Comites

    The Manchester Comites represents Italians living in the Manchester consular district, which covers much of northern and central England.

    With more than 125,000 Italian citizens living in the district, the 2026 elections will choose 18 councillors. For the next five years, they will represent this community in its dealings with the Consulate.
    Choose who will speak for you at the Consulate: register to vote and, to help us continue the work we have done in recent years while leading Comites, vote for our list, "Con Voi".

    Privacy Policy

    Last updated: 28 August 2026

    This policy explains how personal data is processed through the website of the Con Voi - Manchester Comites 2026 candidate list. For privacy enquiries, please email convoi.lista@gmail.com.

    Data we collect and how we use it

    When you voluntarily enter your email address in the form on this website, we use it to send you the electoral registration form and information about voting and our candidate list. When you contact us by email, we process the information in your message to respond to your enquiry. Providing your data is optional.

    The website and its technical service providers may also process information needed to keep the site running and secure, such as your IP address, browser type, device, and the date and time of your visit.

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    Data retention and your rights

    We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described and to meet any legal obligations. You may request access to your data, ask for it to be corrected or deleted, request that its processing be restricted, or withdraw your consent by emailing the address above. You may also lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office.

    Your data is not sold, used for profiling or subject to automated decision-making.