Voting card and absentee ballot materials; Application

Generally, you vote at the polling place where you are registered as eligible to vote in the voter registry. If you wish to vote by mail or at another polling place in your electoral district (for local and federal elections), voting district (for state and district elections), or county/independent city (for European elections), you must apply to your local municipality for a voting pass. Here and in the following sections, if your municipality is part of an administrative association, your point of contact may be the administrative association itself rather than the individual municipality.

You also need a voting pass to participate in the election if, in exceptional cases, you are not registered on the voter roll but are nevertheless eligible to vote in the election in question.

To receive an absentee ballot, you must

• be eligible to vote in the election in question, and
• generally be registered on the voter rolls
  (for exceptions, please contact your local municipality directly) and
• submit an application to your local municipality for a absentee ballot.
  You do not need to provide a reason for this application.

If you are eligible to vote in the election in question, you will be automatically (i.e., without having to submit an application) entered in the voter registry of the municipality where you are registered as having your primary residence as of the cutoff date—the 42nd day before the election—or (for municipal and county elections) where you have the center of your life at that time. In this case, approximately five to three weeks before Election Day, you will receive a written “voter notification” from your municipality regarding your right to vote, the requirements and procedures for participating in the election, and the applicable polling place, as well as information on whether the polling place is accessible (barrier-free). The municipality can also provide you with more detailed information about accessible polling places.

If you have not received a voter notification by the 21st day before the election/vote, but believe you are eligible to vote, you should contact your municipality’s election office immediately to clarify whether—and, if so, in which other voting district or municipality—you are eligible to vote. Especially if you have moved after the cutoff date for compiling the voter register, you can no longer be registered automatically. In such cases, the voter register may be corrected accordingly, or, under certain conditions, you may be issued a voter certificate attesting to your right to vote.

You can request a voting card in the following ways:

• The best way is to fill out the form printed on the back of your election notice completely and then mail it back to the municipality or drop it off there
• using the appropriate online form on the Internet (if available, via the QR code on the election notice), if your municipality offers this option
• in writing by other means (e.g., by mail, fax, or email), providing the necessary information
• in person by visiting the local municipality

It is not possible to apply by phone.

The following information is required for the application:

• Last name
• First name
• Date of birth
• Full residential address (street, house number, ZIP code, city)
• If you are not using the form on the back of the election notice: if possible, also include the voting district or electoral district listed on the election notice and your voter registration number
• If applicable, a different address for mailing the voting pass along with the absentee voting materials (e.g., vacation address).

The municipality will send you the voting card along with the absentee voting materials (ballot, ballot envelope, return envelope, and instructions for properly casting a mail-in vote) by mail to your residential address or, if applicable, to the alternative address you provided (in this case, a notification will also be sent to your residential address if the application is submitted electronically). The voter registration card and absentee voting materials are clearly marked on the outside as official election documents.

Tip: If you apply for the voter registration card in person at the local municipality, you can take the materials with you right away to avoid delays in the mail. In most cases, the eligible voter can also cast their absentee ballot on the spot; the ballot then does not need to be returned to the local municipality by mail or other means, but can be submitted there immediately and will be securely stored by the municipality until Election Day.

Power of Attorney

If you are unable to apply for your voter registration card yourself, you may authorize another person to do so by providing a written power of attorney. If, due to a physical disability, you are unable to apply for a voter registration card yourself or grant a power of attorney, you may enlist the help of a person you trust when submitting the application. This person must demonstrate that the application is in accordance with your wishes.

You may also authorize another person in writing to pick up the documents. The application forms for the absentee ballot already include the appropriate wording for a power of attorney. However, the authorized person may not represent more than four eligible voters and must also confirm this in writing to the municipality when picking up the documents.

However, it is not possible for someone else to vote on your behalf; in other words, you must always exercise your right to vote in person. If you are unable to do so because you are unable to write—for example, due to a physical disability or visual impairment—you may also seek the assistance of another person in marking the ballot; this person must act in accordance with your wishes. On the voting certificate, you must provide a sworn statement confirming whether you cast your vote in person or had it marked by an assistant.

The application for an absentee ballot may be submitted up to the second day before the election, that is, by 3:00 p.m. on Friday (by 6:00 p.m. for European elections); in certain exceptional cases (e.g., if the voter cannot reach the polling place—or can do so only with unreasonable difficulty—due to a proven sudden illness), an absentee ballot may also be requested up until 3:00 p.m. on Election Day.

The absentee ballot must be received no later than 6:00 p.m. on Election Sunday at the location indicated on the envelope (the municipal election office). The voter bears the risk of loss during transit.

• When applying in person for an absentee ballot without using the form on the election notification or an online form:
  
  • Official photo ID (e.g., national ID card, passport),
  • if possible, please also present your voter registration notice
• When applying for or picking up a ballot on behalf of others:
  
  • A separate written authorization for each of the following: applying for and picking up the absentee ballot, and
  • official photo ID
• When casting your ballot at a different polling place (see above):
  
  • Voter registration card and
  • official photo ID

Applying for, issuing, and mailing the voting card along with the absentee ballot materials by the municipality is free of charge for you. If you send the application to the municipality by mail, you will be responsible for the applicable postage costs.

Returning the ballot to the municipality using the official red envelope is postage-free within Germany. If you choose a special method of mailing (e.g., certified mail) or return the ballot from abroad, you must pay the applicable postage costs yourself.