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 for a voting pass from your local municipality. 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 an election if, as an exception, you are not registered on the voter roll but are nevertheless eligible to vote in the election in question.

To receive a ballot, you must

• be eligible to vote in the election in question and
• generally be registered on the voter roll
  (for exceptions, please contact your local municipality directly) and
• submit an application to your local municipality for a voting pass.
  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, the applicable polling place, and an indication of whether the polling place is accessible (barrier-free). The municipality can also provide you with further 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 registry, you can no longer be registered automatically. In such cases, the voter registry may be corrected accordingly, or, under certain conditions, you may be issued a voter registration card certifying 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 voting notice completely and either mail it back to your municipality or drop it off there
• using the corresponding online form (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 government office

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 the mailing of the ballot and 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 alternate address you provided (in this case, a notification will also be sent to your residential address if the application is submitted electronically).

Tip: If you apply for the voter registration card in person at the 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 vote by mail right there on the spot; the ballot then does not need to be returned to the municipality by mail or any other means, but can be submitted 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 can 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 form yourself or grant a power of attorney, you may enlist the help of a person you trust when submitting the application. That person must demonstrate credibly 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 voter registration card 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 to mark your ballot; this person must act in accordance with your wishes. On the voting card, 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 only do so with unreasonable difficulty—due to a proven sudden illness), an application for an absentee ballot may also be submitted until 3:00 p.m. on Election Day.

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

• When applying in person for an absentee ballot without using the form on the election notice 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 absentee 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 a ballot at a different polling place (see above):
  
  • Voter registration card and
  • official photo ID

Applying for, issuing, and mailing the absentee ballot along with the mail-in voting 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 in 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.