Election date

Setting an election date is essential for the proper conduct of elections. Once that date is fixed, the time limits start to run and the group of persons entitled to vote is defined.

Parliamentary elections at federal level (Bundestag or European elections) may be combined with elections to Länder parliaments. The Land legislator alone decides whether such elections should be combined.

Bundestag elections

New elections to the German Bundestag are held no sooner than forty-six months and no later than forty-eight months after the beginning of the current electoral term. If the electoral term of the Bundestag is terminated prematurely, early elections have to be held within sixty days after the decision has been taken to dissolve the Bundestag (Article 39 paragraph 1 of the Basic Law). So far there have been three early elections: in 1972, 1983 and 2005.

The Federal President determines the day of the general election (election day), which has to be a Sunday or statutory public holiday. The decision is usually taken several (about 8) months before the election.

Election dates Bundestag elections
Electoral period	Election day
1^st	14 August 1949
2^nd	06 September 1953
3^rd	15 September 1957
4^th	17 September 1961
5^th	19 September 1965
6^th	28 September 1969
7^th	19 November 1972
8^th	3 October 1976
9^th	5 October 1980
10^th	6 March 1983
11^th	25 January 1987
12^th	2 December 1990
13^th	16 October 1994
14^th	27 September 1998
15^th	22 September 2002
16^th	18 September 2005
17^th	27 September 2009
18^th	22 September 2013
19^th	24 September 2017
20^th	26 September 2021
21^st	28 September 2025

Legal bases

Article 39 of the Basic Law (GG)
Section 16 of the Federal Elections Act (BWG)

European Parliament elections

As a rule, any European election is held within a period from Thursday to Sunday which is the same for all Member States. This is to ensure that the different election traditions can be maintained in the Member States. Like Germany, most Member States hold elections on a Sunday or statutory public holiday.

The period in which the election is held should correspond to the respective period of the first European election of 1979, in the last year of the electoral period. The first European election took place from 7 to 10 June 1979.

About six months before the election, the Federal Government specifies the day on which the election is to take place.

Election dates European elections
Electoral period	Election day
1^st	10 June 1979
2^nd	17 June 1984
3^rd	18 June 1989
4^th	12 June 1994
5^th	13 June 1999
6^th	13 June 2004
7^th	7 June 2009
8^th	25 May 2014
9^th	26 May 2019
10^th	9 June 2024

Legal bases

Section 7 of the European Elections Act (EuWG)
Section 4 of the European Elections Act (EuWG) in conjunction with Section 16, second sentence, of the Federal Elections Act (BWG)

Last update: 28 August 2024