Der Bundeswahlleiter

Responsibilities of the Federal Returning Officer

at Bundestag elections:

to verify the proper conduct of the election
to call for the proposal of persons eligible to vote to serve as members and their deputies on the Federal Electoral Committee
to appoint members and their deputies to the Federal Electoral Committee
to function as the chairman of the Federal Electoral Committee
to receive and preliminarily examine the notices of participation in the election from associations recognized as parties which have not been continuously represented in the German Bundestag or in a Land parliament since the last election to the relevant assembly by at least five deputies nominated by the party itself
to issue invitations to Federal Electoral Committee meetings
to announce the decision taken by the Federal Electoral Committee concerning which associations have been recognized as parties for the election and which parties have been continuously represented in the German Bundestag or in a Land parliament since the last election to the relevant assembly by at least five deputies nominated by the party itself
to monitor the decisions taken by constituency electoral committees on the approval or rejection of constituency nominations, with the right to appeal to the Land returning officer
to receive and examine appeals against decisions taken by Land electoral committees
to check candidates for inadmissible double candidature and to prepare a list of candidates
to ascertain and announce the provisional general election result for the electoral area
to prepare the concluding declaration by the Federal Electoral Committee of the final result of the Land list election
to inform the Land returning officers about the Land list candidates who have been declared duly elected
to announce the final election result for the electoral area
to register all registered Germans living abroad who are eligible to vote in accordance with Section 18 (5) of the Federal Electoral Regulations
to exercise the right to lodge an objection in the electoral scrutiny proceedings
to mail Annex 2 of the Federal Electoral Regulations
to procure official forms.

Legal bases
Bundestag election: Sections 6, 9, 18, 26 to 28, 42 of the Federal Elections Act (BWG); Sections 4, 5, 18, 32, 33, 35 to 37, 40 to 42, 44, 71, 75 to 81, 88 of the Federal Electoral Regulations (BWO); Section 2 (2) of the Law on the Scrutiny of Elections (WPrüfG)

at European elections:

to verify the proper conduct of the election
to appoint the members to the Federal Electoral Committee and act as its chairperson
to publicly announce where, during what period of time and in what due form the exclusion from the combination of lists can be declared
to receive the nominations - combined lists for all Länder - and pre-examine them
to receive, pre-examine and announce (after the decision has been taken by the Federal Electoral Committee) the declaration concerning exclusion from the combination of lists
to announce the nominations approved, pointing out which combinations of lists are valid and which nominations are excluded from such a combination
to establish the provisional result for the electoral area and to announce by word of mouth which candidates have been elected according to the provisional results
to establish and announce the final election result for the electoral area and to notify the candidates who have been elected
to submit the final election result to the President of the German Bundestag ; to verify the election result
to exercise the right to lodge an objection in the electoral scrutiny proceedings
to establish and announce successors from the lists
to procure official forms

Legal bases
European election: Section 9 (2) of the Federal Elections Act (BWG); Section 2 (2), Section 11 (1), (3), Section 13 (1), Section 14 (6); Sections 19, 20, 26 of the European Elections Act (EuWG); Section 4 (1), Section 26, Section 31 (2), Sections 33, 36, 37, Section 64 (5), (6), Section 71 (3), Sections 72, 74, 77, 81 of the European Electoral Regulations (EuWO); Section 2 (2) of the Law on the Scrutiny of Elections (WPrüfG)

Last update: Dezember 2011