Germans living abroad can participate in federal elections under certain conditions, including residency history and personal ties to Germany. They must register with their last municipality in Germany by February 2, 2025, to receive postal voting materials for the February 23 elections. Voting at embassies is not allowed, but courier services can facilitate ballot submissions. Approximately 3-4 million eligible voters reside outside Germany, primarily in Europe, with varying registration and participation statistics compared to previous elections.
Germans Living Abroad: Your Voting Rights in Federal Elections
As the federal elections approach, it’s important for Germans residing abroad to know their voting rights. Under specific conditions, these citizens can participate in the elections. This guide provides essential information regarding the registration deadlines and voting methods available to them.
Key Deadlines for Voter Registration
Germans living outside of Germany are classified as citizens who are not registered in the country. To be eligible to vote, they must have lived in Germany for a minimum of three consecutive months after turning 14 and should not have been away for more than 25 years.
Additionally, individuals who have a personal connection to the political landscape in Germany may also be eligible to vote. This includes local staff at German diplomatic missions or journalists writing for German newspapers while abroad.
Voting Procedures for Germans Abroad
Since expatriates no longer have an official residence in Germany, they are not automatically included in the electoral roll. To vote, they must apply for registration, typically at the municipality where they last resided. This local authority will then issue the postal voting materials necessary for participation.
It’s crucial for Germans abroad to register promptly, as the deadline for the electoral roll registration is February 2, 2025, ahead of the elections on February 23, 2025. Application forms can be found on the Federal Returning Officer’s website. Completed voting documents must be submitted to the respective municipality by 6 p.m. on election day.
Voting at the Embassy: What You Need to Know
Unfortunately, Germans cannot vote directly at embassies during the federal elections, as this is not permitted by law. The Federal Returning Officer has stated that the logistics of embassy voting would be excessively burdensome.
However, voters can use official courier services to ensure their postal voting documents are delivered in time. These materials can be sent from Germany to the embassy and then forwarded to the voter’s home municipality. Each diplomatic mission will decide whether to employ this courier option, which is available in 88 countries, including Brazil, India, and Turkey.
While special couriers will be utilized around election time, embassies may not always be the fastest option. In many cases, commercial express postal services may deliver more efficiently. For those living outside Europe, sending ballots by air mail is advised to avoid delays.
Estimating Voter Participation from Abroad
The Foreign Office estimates that between three and four million Germans living abroad are eligible to vote, though exact numbers are difficult to ascertain due to the lack of registration requirements. In the 2021 federal elections, approximately 130,000 applications were submitted by expatriates to register for the electoral roll, but the number of actual votes cast is not tracked. For comparison, just 67,000 applications were submitted during the 2013 elections.
Where Do Expatriate Voters Reside?
In the 2021 elections, most overseas voters were located in European countries, particularly within the European Union, as well as in the UK and Turkey. Notably, around 7,700 registered German voters lived in the USA, while 5,300 resided in Asia, and another 1,500 were spread across Canada, Africa, and Australia.
What to Do If You’re Registered in Germany but Living Abroad?
For those who are still registered in Germany but have been living abroad for an extended period, it is possible to request postal voting documents from their local municipal authority. This request can be submitted in writing, via email, or in person; phone requests are not accepted.
Information sourced from news agency dpa.
This topic was covered by SWR1 Baden-Württemberg on January 13, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.