A new Bundestag will be elected in Germany on Sunday. However, if you cannot go to the voting booth yourself, you can apply for a postal vote until Friday evening. What to watch out for.
Before the general election next Sunday, postal votes are more popular than ever. At the beginning of the millennium, 18 percent of those eligible to vote cast their vote by letter, while the percentage of postal voters was 28.6 percent in the 2017 election. The trend also continues in the election on Sunday. The corona pandemic leads to a significant increase in postal voting, said Federal Returning Officer Georg Thiel in mid-August of the ARD. In Cologne alone, around 46 percent of those eligible to vote had submitted a postal vote by Wednesday, reported the WDR. In other cities in North Rhine-Westphalia, too, the mark is above 40 percent.
Postal voting is also still possible for spontaneous people, but there are a few important things to consider. An overview:
Until when can I request the postal vote?
According to the Federal Returning Officer, postal voting can be requested by 6 p.m. on Friday evening, September 24th at the latest. Most cities and municipalities have already stopped applying for postal voting online. So if you still apply for postal voting, you have to pick up the documents on site at the voting office. There the ballot can be filled out and returned immediately – the principle is called postal voting on the spot.
How does the election letter get back to the community?
The return of the documents is free of charge, but the responsibility for ensuring that the letter arrives at the municipality on time rests with the voters. In general, the documents should be sent back to the election office as early as possible. Deutsche Post and the Federal Returning Officer indicated in advance that the election letter should be sent no later than three working days before the election so that it arrives at the municipality – i.e. by 23 September at the latest. Because one thing will not change on election Sunday either: Post does not deliver any letters on Sundays.
What do I do if I only request postal voting at short notice?
If the postal vote was only requested on Thursday or Friday, a timely return is not guaranteed. If you want to be on the safe side, you can hand in the voting letter to the address given on the envelope or fill in the voting slip when you pick it up on the spot. It is important that the voting slip must be handed in to the responsible office by 6 p.m. on Sunday at the latest. If a letter arrives later, it is invalid.
Can I also cast my vote in the polling office despite the postal voting application?
Yes, that is also possible. However, you have to take your postal voting documents with you to the voting office, no new ones will be handed out on site. Because with the application for the postal vote, it is noted who has already received a voting slip. On presentation of the identity card or passport, the voting slip can be handed in at any polling station in the constituency.
I suddenly get sick and can’t go to the polling station on Sunday. Can I still vote?
Yes, for example, if you have Corona or have to be in quarantine, you can apply for postal voting at short notice – after all, you are not allowed to go to the polling station in this case. “In the case of a proven (for example by the doctor) sudden illness, there is the possibility to apply for a postal vote at the election office of your municipality up to the election day at 3 pm”, it says on the homepage of the Federal Returning Officer. An authorized person can collect the electoral documents from the electoral office against submission of a written power of attorney. Don’t forget: You can only cast your vote until 6 p.m.
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