Press release no. 35/24 of 7. Juni 2024
2024 European election: representative electoral statistics provide information on voting behaviour by age and sex
WIESBADEN – As in previous European elections, representative electoral statistics will be compiled for the 10th direct election to the European Parliament in Germany on 9 June 2024. The Federal Returning Officer reports that voter turnout and the casting of votes by age, sex and Länder will be determined in just under 2,350 randomly selected polling districts. The secrecy of the ballot is of paramount importance here. First results of the representative electoral statistics for the 2024 European election are expected to be available in September 2024.
Representative electoral statistics make it possible to analyse the voting behaviour by sex and year-of-birth groups and the structure of voters and non-voters in the territory of the Federal Republic and in individual Länder at both European and Bundestag elections. For the territory of the Federal Republic, results can also be provided for the voting behaviour in ballot box voting and postal voting, broken down by sex and year-of-birth groups.
To compile representative electoral statistics, a random sample was drawn from the roughly 90,000 polling districts which consists of approximately 1,900 polling districts for ballot box voting and 450 polling districts for postal voting. The ballot papers used in these polling districts have distinctive characteristics printed on them for sex and six year-of-birth groups.
Based on information in the electoral registers, the number of eligible voters and the number of those who have actually voted are analysed in determining the voter turnout, broken down by sex and ten age groups.
Measures are in place to guarantee the secrecy of the ballot. The ballot papers do not contain any personal data and only have anonymous distinctive characteristics printed on them for sex and year-of-birth group. The counting of the ballot papers is organised independently of the analysis of the electoral registers and both processes are kept strictly separate. Also, a minimum size has been defined for the polling districts selected. The polling districts for ballot box voting selected for electoral statistics must comprise a minimum of 400 eligible voters in the 2024 European election. The selected postal ballot districts must have had a minimum of 400 voters in the previous European election in 2019. Finally, results must not be published for individual polling districts in the sample.
More detailed information on how representative electoral statistics are compiled for the European election is available on the website of the Federal Returning Officer.
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