Press release no. 25/2014 of 23. Mai 2014
Representative electoral statistics for the 2014 European Election
WIESBADEN – As in former European elections, representative electoral statistics will be compiled for the eighth election to the European Parliament on 25 May 2014. As reported by the Federal Returning Officer, voter turnout and votes cast by age, sex and Länder will be determined in nearly 2,900 polling districts selected at random. As in other surveys of election statistics, the secrecy of the ballot is the primary requirement. First results of the representative electoral statistics for the 2014 European Election will presumably be available in August 2014.
By means of representative electoral statistics, the voting behaviour of men and women, age-specific differences, and the structure of voters and non-voters can be analysed at Bundestag and European elections in the territory of the Federal Republic and in the individual Länder. This provides a reliable picture of how different population groups take part in political life in Germany.
Representative electoral statistics will not be compiled in all German polling districts. Instead, a random sample of approximately 2,500 will be drawn from the roughly 75,000 ballot box districts, and about 350 will be selected at random from the approximately 15,000 postal ballot districts. The ballot papers used in those polling districts will have distinctive characteristics printed on them for women and men by six age groups. To determine the voter turnout, an analysis will also be made of registered voters and persons who have actually cast their votes, based on the voters’ registers and broken down by sex and ten age groups.
The secrecy of the ballot is guarded by the provisions of the Law on Electoral Statistics: the ballot papers will not bear any personal data but will only have anonymous distinctive characteristics printed on them for sex and age group. The counting of the ballot papers and the analysis of the voters’ registers will be performed strictly separate in organisational terms. Moreover, a minimum size has been defined for the polling districts to be selected. Polling districts for ballot box voting must comprise a minimum of 400 registered voters in the 2014 European Election. Postal ballot districts must have had a minimum of 400 voters in the latest European election of 2009. Finally, results must not be published for single polling districts selected.
For more detailed information on how representative electoral statistics are compiled for the European election please refer to 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