Voters’ register and residential move

The voters’ register of a municipality lists all those who are entitled to cast their votes there on election day.

The municipal authorities are obliged to set up and maintain a new voters’ register for each polling district before each Bundestag election. The voters’ registers are set up on the basis of the population registers of the registration offices. All those entitled to vote who have their main residence in the municipality are entered in the voters’ register.

Before listing anyone, the municipal authority has to ensure that they meet the conditions for being eligible to vote and that there are no reasons for disqualification. The date for entering people in the voters’ register ex officio is the 42^nd day before election (15 August 2021). The voters’ register has to be completed between the third day before election and the day before election. It is made available to the electoral board on election day. With the exception of spelling errors, the electoral board is not entitled to correct the voters’ register.

No later than the 21^st day before the election (5 September 2021), the municipal authorities inform those eligible to vote about the address of the polling station and whether the access is barrier-free, about polling hours, the number they have been assigned in the voters’ register and other details by a voter’s notification. If you have not received a voter’s notification by then, you should contact the municipal authority without delay.

From the 20^th to 16^th day before election (from 6 to 10 September 2021) you may also inspect the voters’ register of your municipality during normal opening hours to see whether your data have been entered correctly and completely.

If you think that the voters’ register is not correct or incomplete, you may lodge a written complaint with the municipal authority during the public display period.

If you have been wrongfully omitted from the voters’ register and an amendment is not possible as the voters’ register has already been completed, you will receive a polling card if you apply for it.

1. Residential move to another municipality and change of residence notification up to the 42^nd day before election (15 August 2021)

You will be entered ex officio into the voters’ register of the new place of residence and can vote there. This also applies if you have lived abroad and are moving to Germany.

2. Residential move and change of residence notification from the 41^st to the 21^st day before election (from 16 August to 5 September 2021)

You have to apply for entry into the voters’ register of your new place of residence. If you do not file such an application, you will remain in the voters’ register of your former place of residence and can exercise your right to vote there, either at the ballot box or by postal ballot.

If you move to Germany from another country, you have to apply for entry in the voters’ register. Such applications for people who return from abroad have to be filed with the municipality they are moving to.

3. Residential move and change of residence notification after the 21^st day before election (from 6 September 2021)

You will remain in the voters’ register of your former place of residence and can exercise your right to vote there, either at the ballot box or by postal ballot.

If you move to Germany from another country, you have to apply for entry in the voters’ register until the 21^st day before the election (5 September 2021), that is before moving to Germany. Such applications for Germans living abroad have to be filed with the municipality where they were last registered before leaving Germany. The application form is provided on this website.