Roderich Egeler
President of the Federal Statistical Office
Press release September 24, 2009
Anyone voting more than once or without being entitled to vote will be liable to prosecution
WIESBADEN – Before the Bundestag election on 27 September 2009, the Federal Returning Officer points to the fact that every person entitled to vote may cast his/her vote once only. This applies also to registered voters who have received several voter’s notifications, for example after moving to a different address. Anyone voting more than once or without being entitled to vote commits electoral fraud and will be liable to prosecution.
To safeguard a regular election process, violations of election law provisions will be punished: Anyone casting his/her vote without being entitled thereto shall be punished with imprisonment of up to five years or a fine (Section 107a Subsection 1 of the German Penal Code). Even the attempt to do so is liable to prosecution.
So: If you are entitled to vote, you should cast your vote in the coming Bundestag election – but only once, please.
For further information please contact:
Karina Schorn,
tel: (+49-611) 75-2317,
e-mail: bundeswahlleiter@destatis.de