Press

Press release no. 14/2013 of 13. August 2013

Application deadline for Germans living abroad is 1 September

Wiesbaden – The Federal Returning Officer points to the fact that 1 September 2013 is the deadline for entering Germans living abroad in the voters’ register. Being registered is the prerequisite for participation in the Bundestag election on 22 September 2013.

Germans permanently staying abroad who do no longer have a domicile in Germany and wish to cast their vote in the 2013 Bundestag Election should as soon as possible apply in writing, using a special application form, for entry in the voters’ register of the municipality in which they were last registered before leaving Germany. The application must be received by the municipal authority on 1 September 2013 at the latest.

To find out which municipal authority may be responsible, the Federal Returning Officer refers Germans who have never been registered as residents in Germany and may be entitled to vote to the information for Germans living abroad provided on his homepage at www.bundeswahlleiter.de.

Germans living abroad who, upon request, were listed in the register of voters for the last Bundestag election in 2009 must file another application to register for the 2013 Bundestag Election.

Germans living abroad may obtain further information and the application form from almost any mission of the Federal Republic of Germany abroad or the website of the Federal Returning Officer.

Germans who stay abroad only temporarily (for instance while on vacation) and still have a registered domicile in Germany will be entered ex officio in the voters’ register of their municipality and may vote in the 2013 Bundestag Election by postal ballot. They do not have to wait for their voter’s notification to be delivered but may apply now to their municipal authority for a polling card either in writing (also by fax of e-mail) or personally. However, the application cannot be submitted by telephone. An application for postal vote may also be filed by completing the application for a polling card printed on the back of the voter’s notification. Anyone filing the application on behalf of another person must present a relevant written proxy.

As an exception, some German missions let German voters staying abroad return their postal ballot letters to Germany by the official courier service to the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. Return envelopes do not have to be stamped then. However, when the official courier service is used, the Federal Foreign Office does not assume liability for any loss, damage or delayed delivery of ballot documents. Please note that the official courier service can be used every one to two weeks and delivery may take several days. For details please contact the respective mission abroad.

A list of the German missions is also available on the website of the Federal Returning Officer.

 

For further information:
Office of the Federal Returning Officer
tel: +49 611 75-4863
www.bundeswahlleiter.de/contact