Federal Parliamentary Election; Submission of a Nomination

Candidate slates for district elections must be submitted by political parties or individual eligible voters for the respective electoral district (an electoral district generally consists of a county or an independent city; depending on population, constituencies may also consist of several counties or cities independent of a county, or parts thereof) and must be submitted to the district election officer, who is based at the county administrative office or the city independent of a county. The district nomination lists are reviewed there. The district election committee decides on the approval of the nominations in a public meeting.

The state-level candidate lists must be submitted to the state election officer.

Parties that are not represented in the German Bundestag or a state parliament must first notify the Federal Returning Officer of their intention to participate (see “Related Topics”). The Federal Election Commission must confirm their right to participate.

A nomination for a state list must be signed by, among others, 1 out of every 1,000 eligible voters in the state who voted in the last federal election, but by no more than 2,000 eligible voters, if the party has not previously been represented in the Bundestag or a state parliament.

A district nomination for a direct candidate in a congressional district must be signed by, among other requirements, at least 200 eligible voters in that district if it is submitted by a party not previously represented in the Bundestag or a state parliament, or by individual eligible voters.

Specialized publishers provide the forms required for submitting candidate nominations. The official forms required for signatures of support are issued exclusively by the respective state or district election officer.

Nominations must be submitted by 6:00 p.m. on the 69th day before the election at the latest.