Election from abroad: This is how your voices arrive in good time!

Election from abroad: This is how your voices arrive in good time!

On January 17, 2025, the preparations for the upcoming Bundestag election, which will take place on February 23, 2025, are in full swing. For Germans abroad who want to take part in this election, there are special requirements and deadlines to consider. These groups can be defined by their different life situations: Those with a German passport that live abroad permanently have to register in the electoral register and receive their postal voting documents to their international address. In contrast, Germans who are temporarily abroad can remain in the electoral register and make an application for postal voting. Applications for postal voting must be received by the responsible communities up to 21 days before the election, which means that the deadline for February 3, 2025 falls, so that timely application is essential. [Rheinpfalz] reports that many inquiries from countries such as the USA and Israel and other European countries have already been received this year.

A number of associations, such as Kandel and Jockgrim, recorded numerous inquiries from German citizens abroad. For example, the municipality of Kandel received around 20 inquiries, while Jockgrim received international inquiries from New Zealand, Thailand, the USA, France, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Poland and the Netherlands. Jens Hinderberger from the Lingenfeld community expressed concerns whether the voters in the more remote countries can receive their ballot papers in good time, which also underlines the urgency to apply in good time.

Organization of postal voting

To make it easier to make postal voting, various options are available to vote. The foreign representatives offer the opportunity to use the official courier path for the election documents. However, prior consultation with the responsible foreign representation is necessary. Especially in many EU countries close to the border, the courier path is not faster than the regular postal route. For timely submission, the election documents must be sent in a separate, closed envelope, which is characterized as a matter of election. The addresses for the shipping are clearly defined and the voting offices provide information about the shipping to ensure a smooth process [bundeschahlverin.de].

The deadline for sending the election notifications ends on January 24, 2025, and the ballot papers must be available by February 7th. Election certificates are to be sent to the voters on February 7th. Until the last Bundestag election, there were around 12,350 eligible voters in the Lingenfeld community, of whom 6,325 their vote made by postal voting. The high interest and the multitude of inquiries show how important it is that voters are well informed and prepared in an international environment.

Special requirements for the electoral directories

In addition to postal voting, the voters must also be observed. Germans who live outside of Germany and are not registered for an apartment in Germany have to register independently in a list of electoral. The application process differs depending on the life situation. There are two different forms: for those who lived in Germany at least three months after the age of 14, and for those who never lived in Germany longer or only before the age of 14. Depending on the case, the applications must be transmitted differently, although in any case a timely application is recommended in order not to miss dead.

Overall, the voters, regardless of whether in Germany or abroad, should take all the necessary steps in good time in order to be able to submit their vote. The associations call for the use of the election offers on site to reduce the stress for the administrations and to ensure an orderly election organization.