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 every European 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. 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.

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No later than the 21^st day before the election, 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 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.

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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.

Auch nach Ende der Einspruchsfrist ist es noch möglich an der Wahl teilzunehmen, wenn Sie gegenüber der Gemeindebehörde nachweisen können, dass Sie unverschuldet die Einspruchsfrist versäumt haben.

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

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

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

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, that is before moving to Germany. Such applications for Germans living abroad have to be filed with the municipality of your last registered main residence in Germany.

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Persons without a permanent residence, people in penal or similar institutions and people residing abroad could file an application with the municipal authority of their main residence until 5 May 2019 (21st day before the election). (All other people entitled to vote who have so far been subject to exclusions from voting rights can object to the voters' register (see below)).

The application has to be filed in written form with the competent municipal authority. The applicant's family name, surnames, date of birth and exact address have to be quoted. The application must be signed personally and by hand. If necessary, you may ask another person for assistance, also your guardian.

The relevant application forms and specimens are provided here:

Muster eines Antrages auf Eintragung in das Wählerverzeichnis für die Eintragung von nicht Sesshaften und Personen in Justizvollzugsanstalten oder entsprechenden Einrichtungen

Antrag für Deutsche im Ausland auf Eintragung in das Wählerverzeichnis

People returning from abroad can apply using the specimen in Annex 1 to Section 17 (6) of the European Electoral Regulations. It will be provided by the respective municipal authority.

Auch nach Ende der Antragsfrist, ist es noch möglich an der Wahl teilzunehmen, wenn Sie nachweisen können, dass Sie unverschuldet die Antragsfrist versäumt haben. Sie können hierfür die obigen Antragsformulare verwenden und müssen zusätzlich die Gründe nennen, die zum unverschuldeten Versäumen der Antragsfrist geführt haben.

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People with registered main residence in Germany who do not belong to the above groups of persons can object to the voters’ register from 6 to 10 May (Section 21 of the European Electoral Regulations).

The objection may be submitted in writing to or dictated at the municipal authority. The objection must be signed personally and by hand. If necessary, you may ask another person for assistance, also your guardian.

Auch nach Ende der Einspruchsfrist, ist es noch möglich an der Wahl teilzunehmen, wenn Sie nachweisen können, dass Sie unverschuldet die Einspruchsfrist versäumt haben. Sie können hierfür das Muster verwenden und müssen zusätzlich die Gründe nennen, die zum unverschuldeten Versäumen der Einspruchsfrist geführt haben.

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Union citizens who have been subject to an exclusion from voting rights can also apply for entry in the voters’ register (Section 17a of the European Electoral Regulations). The form to be used is Annex 2A. The application has to be received by the municipal authority by 5 May 2019 (21st day before the election) at the latest.

Antrag für Unionsbürgerinnen und -bürger auf Eintragung in das Wählerverzeichnis

Auch nach Ende der Antragsfrist, ist es noch möglich an der Wahl teilzunehmen, wenn Sie nachweisen können, dass Sie unverschuldet die Antragsfrist versäumt haben. Sie können hierfür das obige Antragsformular verwenden und müssen zusätzlich die Gründe nennen, die zum unverschuldeten Versäumen der Antragsfrist geführt haben.

 

Union citizens who were on a voters’ register in the election of 13 June 1999 and/or subsequent European Parliament election and later became subject to the above kind of exclusion from voting rights can object to the voters’ register.

The objection may be submitted in writing to or dictated at the municipal authority. The objection must be signed personally and by hand. If necessary, you may ask another person for assistance, also your guardian.

Objections can be lodged from 6 to 10 May 2019 (20^th to 16^th day before the election).

Muster für einen Einspruch gegen das Wählerverzeichnis

Auch nach Ende der Einspruchsfrist, ist es noch möglich an der Wahl teilzunehmen, wenn Sie nachweisen können, dass Sie unverschuldet die Einspruchsfrist versäumt haben. Sie können hierfür das Muster verwenden und müssen zusätzlich die Gründe nennen, die zum unverschuldeten Versäumen der Einspruchsfrist geführt haben.

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