Home > 1.3.2.2 Voting procedures > GERMANY - Federal Electoral Regulations
 
 
 
Download file    
 
 
Article 45
 

Ballot Papers, Voting envelopes

(1) The ballot paper shall be at least 21 by 29.7 cm in size (standard German A4 size) and made of white or off-white paper. In accordance with the specimen at Annex 26, it shall contain the following information in the order and numeration of the promulgated nominations and Land lists:

1. for the constituency election, the approved constituency nominations in black type, comprising the surname, forename, occupation or status and address (main residence) of the candidate, the name of the party and the shortened form of its name if it uses such a form or the identifying word in the case of other constituency nominations (Article 20 (3) of the Law) and, to the right of each candidate's name, a circle for the voter's mark,

2. for the Land list election, the approved Land lists in blue type, comprising the name of the party and the shortened form of its name if it uses such a form, the surnames and forenames of the first five candidates and, to the left of the party designation, a circle for the voter's mark.

Each constituency candidate and each Land list shall have a box. The ballot papers must be of the same color and quality in each polling district.

(2) The voting envelopes for ballot box polling should be 11.4 by 16.2 cm in size (standard German C6 size) and bear the official seal of the Land. They must be nontransparent and at least be of uniform size and color in each polling district. If a commune does not receive official voting envelopes in good time, it shall procure envelopes as similar in design as possible and stamp them with the seal of the commune.

(3) The voting envelopes for the postal ballot should be 11.4 by 16.2 cm in size (standard German C6 size), blue and printed in accordance with the specimen at Annex 10.

(4) The postal ballot envelopes for the postal ballot should be approximately 12 by 17.6 cm in size, red and printed in accordance with the specimen at Annex 11.

(5) The District Returning Officer shall allocate the ballot papers with the requisite voting envelopes for ballot box polling to the local authorities of the communes for distribution to the Electoral Officers. He or she shall supply the local authorities with the postal ballot envelopes and voting envelopes required for the postal ballot.