Right to vote

Persons are eligible to vote in Bundestag elections if they

• are Germans as defined in Article 116 (1) of the Basic Law, and 
• have reached the age of eighteen years, and
• have had an abode or have otherwise been habitually resident in the Federal Republic of Germany for at least three months.

Provided the other conditions are fulfilled, Germans as defined in Article 116 (1) of the Basic Law who are resident outside the Federal Republic of Germany on the day of the election are also eligible to vote on condition that,

• after reaching the age of fourteen years, they have had an abode or have otherwise been habitually resident in the Federal Republic of Germany for a minimum of three months without interruption, provided that this stay took place within the last twenty-five years, or
• for other reasons, they have become familiar, personally and directly, with the political situation in the Federal Republic of Germany and are affected by it.

Persons who are not eligible to vote owing to a judicial decision are disqualified from voting.

 

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Persons are eligible to vote in European Parliament elections if they

• are Germans as defined in Article 116 (1) of the Basic Law, and
• have reached the age of sixteen years on election day, and
• have had an abode or have otherwise been habitually resident for at least three months in the Federal Republic of Germany or in the other Member States of the European Union.

All citizens of the other Member States of the European Union (Union citizens) who have an abode or are otherwise habitually resident in the Federal Republic of Germany are also eligible to vote, provided that on the day of the election

• they have reached the age of sixteen years,
• they have had an abode or have otherwise been habitually resident for at least three months in the Federal Republic of Germany or in the other Member States of the European Union.

Provided the other conditions are fulfilled, Germans as defined in Article 116 (1) of the Basic Law who are resident outside the Federal Republic of Germany on the day of the election are also eligible to vote on condition that,

• after reaching the age of fourteen years, they have had an abode or have otherwise been habitually resident in the Federal Republic of Germany for a minimum of three months without interruption, provided that this stay took place within the last twenty-five years, or
• for other reasons, they have become familiar, personally and directly, with the political situation in the Federal Republic of Germany and are affected by it.

Germans are disqualified from voting if they are not eligible to vote owing to a judicial decision. Union citizens are disqualified from voting if they are not eligible to vote owing to a judicial decision, or if, owing to an individual civil or criminal law decision, they are not eligible to vote in elections to the European Parliament in their home Member State, i.e. the Member State of the European Union of which they are a citizen.

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