Federal Election 2021: Voting by Mail in Germany

Federal Election 2021: Why vote for the FDP?

As Free Democrats, we fight for diversity, tolerance and openness to the world. Against racism, exclusion and discrimination.

We rely on the spirit of entrepreneurship — not on bureaucracy and paternalism. We believe in sustainability through innovation — not through prohibition. We want Germany to be the world leader in education and digitization — not in taxes and duties. We want a state that is capable of acting — not one that gets bogged down. We want a strong economy for secure jobs and prosperity for all.

The challenges ahead of us are significant. To meet them, we need your support. Every vote counts. That’s why you should vote for the Free Democrats!

Who is entitled to vote for the federal election 2021?

In the 2021 Federal Election (“Bundestagswahl”), all German citizens 18 years of age and over are eligible to vote.

In the State elections (“Landtagswahlen”), all German citizens 18 years of age and over are eligible to vote. In Bavaria, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein all German citizens age 16 and over are eligible to vote. 

In the municipal / local elections (“Kommunalwahlen”), German citizens, and EU citizens who have lived in Germany for at least three months are eligible to vote. The minimum age depends on the state: In Bavaria, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Saxony, only people aged 18 and over are eligible to vote. In Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Bremen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Niedersachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia, everyone over 16 is eligible to vote.

In the European elections, all EU citizens over 18 are eligible to vote.

1. Receiving your election notification: Usually, you will receive your election notification six to four weeks before the federal election by mail.
2. Apply for an absentee ballot: You must submit an application for an absentee ballot. You will find the application on the back of your election notification: Indicate that you wish to vote by mail on your election notification card. You can deliver the election notification card to your municipality in person or put it in a stamped envelope in the nearest mailbox. You can also apply for your absentee ballot by email or fax. In some municipalities, you can also apply for your absentee ballot using an online form.
3. Receiving and filling out absentee ballots: You should receive your absentee ballot documents by mail a few days after you apply for them. This letter will contain a detailed absentee ballot instruction sheet, the ballot paper, a blue ballot paper envelope for the completed ballot paper, and the red absentee ballot envelope. Mark your choice on the ballot paper personally and unobserved. Then place this ballot paper in the blue envelope and seal it. Place the ballot paper and your signed affidavit in the red envelope.
4. Submitting your absentee ballot: Within Germany, you can send the sealed red envelope by post without postage or hand it in directly at the location indicated on the envelope

How can I apply for the postal ballot for the federal election 2021?

If you have already received your election notification by mail, you can simply fill out the absentee ballot request form on the back of your election notification card and return it to your election office free of charge. 

If you have not yet received your election notification card or have misplaced it: No problem! Election documents are not sent out centrally, but by each municipality individually. Therefore, the timing may vary nationwide. You should have received your election notification by the beginning of September 2021.

However, you don’t need to wait for the election notification card to arrive. You can either pick up your absentee ballot in person at the election office — usually at the city hall of the municipality of your registered place of residence — or you may apply for it in writing. Our tip for absentee voting: If you are at the election office to pick up the documents, you can fill out the forms and vote directly on the spot.

Another tip: If you would like to apply for an absentee ballot in advance in writing, you must stamp the corresponding application with sufficient postage (fax or email will be accepted, too). 

Please note: It is not possible to apply for an absentee ballot by telephone.

Generally, you should apply for an absentee ballot as early as possible. You do not have to wait until you receive the election notification. You can apply for absentee ballots until Friday, September 24, 2021, 6 p.m.. For exceptional cases (for example, if a sudden illness occurs) you can apply for an absentee up to 3 p.m. on election day, i.e. September 26, 2021.

Can I apply for an absentee ballot online?

Yes. You can apply for the absentee ballot documents in writing by mail to the municipality of your primary residence place and by e-mail or fax, and in some municipalities via an online form. If you want to apply for the documents online, you must provide the following information in any case: Surname, first name(s), date of birth and home address.

Important: It is not possible to apply for an absentee ballot by telephone.

Do I need to submit a reason to vote by mail?

No, you do not have to give a reason why you would prefer to vote by mail rather than at the polling place on Election Sunday.

Can someone else apply for an absentee ballot on my behalf?

Yes, however, that person will need a written authorization signed by you.

When is the deadline to send the absentee ballot for the federal election 2021?

The Federal Election Commissioner (Bundeswahlleiter) points out that election letters must be received at the latest by 6 p.m. on Election Day, because that is when the vote count begins. To be absolutely certain that the envelope arrives on time and that your vote will be counted by absentee ballot, you should mail your absentee ballot no later than three business days before Election Day (i.e., September 22, 2021) — or you drop it off in person in your election office before Election Day (check opening times).

Does the absentee ballot have to be stamped?

For voters within Germany, the absentee ballot is postage-free. If the absentee ballot is sent from abroad, the sender must ensure that it has sufficient postage.

Yes. In this case, you must stamp the absentee ballot sufficiently and send it early enough to ensure that it will be at the election office no later than 6 p.m. on Election Sunday. The Federal Election Commissioner recommends sending absentee ballots from outside Europe by airmail. To do this, you need an airmail sticker (Priority/Prioritaire), which you can find online, among other places.

Can I vote by absentee ballot if I am a German citizen living abroad?

You can only vote if you are registered in a voters‘ register. Germans abroad who are not registered in Germany can be entered to the voter’s register. If German expatriates wish to participate in Bundestag elections, they have to submit a written application for entry into the voters’ register before each election.

The application for registration must be received by the relevant municipality in Germany no later than the 21st day before the election, i.e. September 5, 2021. The deadline cannot be extended. 

You can download the application form for registration here and fill it out on your computer. Application forms are also available from the diplomatic and professional consular missions of the Federal Republic of Germany and the district electoral officers in the Federal Republic of Germany. After that, send the application to the municipality in which you were registered before you moved away from Germany. Detailed information on postal voting as a German abroad without registered residence in Germany can be found on the website of the Federal Election Commissioner.