Bundestag: This is how postal voting works

These days, many people are receiving their voting papers. A record of postal votes is expected. Why is that and what does that mean for the election campaign? And: how does it actually work? Answers to important questions.

Who actually votes by letter?

Postal voting was introduced in 1957. In the election in which the Adenauer CDU won an absolute majority with the slogan “No experiments”, the five percent hurdle also applied for the first time. Almost five percent then voted by post. In 2008, postal voting was made easier. Since then, no one has to give an explicit reason to vote by letter.

The proportion of postal voters has risen steadily in recent years. So gave in 2017 28.6 percent of the voters cast their votes by postal vote. In 1994 it was only 13.4 percent.

The participation in the federal states is different. The federal states with the highest percentage of postal voters in the last federal election were Bavaria and Hamburg (37 percent), while in Saxony-Anhalt just 18 percent opted for voting by letter. In Thuringia (20 percent) and Saxony (21 percent), the percentage of postal votes was also relatively low.

Why is the percentage of postal votes increasing steadily?

Experts assume that the number of postal voters will also increase with this election. The corona crisis could deter more voters from visiting a polling station.

In the state elections in Rhineland-Palatinate in March, the proportion of postal voters increased from 31 percent to 66 percent. In Saxony-Anhalt, the proportion of postal voters in the past state elections has also more than doubled – from 13.7 percent in 2016 to 29.4 percent in June this year. Federal Returning Officer Georg Thiel also expects a significant increase in the federal election. “It can also be a doubling,” he told im tagesschau.de-Interview. Political scientist Uwe Jun from the University of Trier said in the tagesschau24 interview, that the corona pandemic has exacerbated the development.

The election research institute Infratest dimap points out that the percentage of postal votes has increased continuously since its introduction. In surveys, however, only a small proportion would give hard reasons – such as being absent on election day or being unable to walk. “Instead, the decision to vote by post is often made out of convenience or because you want to fill out the ballot in peace,” said Infratest-dimap managing director Michael Kunert tagesschau.de. A complicated right to vote also increases the percentage of postal voters.

Which party could benefit from it?

That is hard to say. In the past it has been shown that the proportion of postal voters is particularly high among the CDU and the Greens. The AfD, on the other hand, could record a lower proportion of postal voters – because the vote is often given spontaneously at the polling station, said Jun.

Kunert from Infratest dimap says that the voting decision for a party is made regardless of whether the vote is cast at the polling station or in advance by letter. “In this respect, there is no causal connection here, but rather a shift of votes between the polling station and postal voting and a shift in the time of voting.”

According to experts, the larger proportion of postal voters definitely affects the election campaign. The parties would have to adjust to the fact that more and more people vote earlier, said Jun. “The hot phase of the election campaign should start earlier,” says the political scientist.

Is the high percentage of postal voters a problem?

According to Jun, a high percentage of postal voters will ultimately benefit democracy. After all, a high voter turnout also strengthens the legitimacy of democracy. “The advantages outweigh the disadvantages.”

The scientific service of the Bundestag comes in a statement from last year to the conclusion that a pure postal vote “does not do justice to the requirements set by the Federal Constitutional Court for the implementation and specification of the electoral principles”. However, this is about an exclusive postal vote, which is not up for discussion.

The service refers to the rulings of the constitutional courts, which have pointed out “that a significant increase in postal voters could conflict with the constitutional model of ballot box voting, which makes representative democracy particularly visible and tangible.”

Basically, however, it says: “The Federal Constitutional Court had to decide several times on the admissibility of postal voting and has determined that postal voting restricts the electoral principles of freedom, secrecy and the public. The Federal Constitutional Court nonetheless judges the applicable federal regulations as constitutional, since they serve the goal to achieve a comprehensive turnout and thus take account of the principle of the general public. “

One problem, however, remains: it is not clear whether the voter cast the vote himself and whether he or she was unobserved and uninfluenced.

A Expert opinion of the scientific service from the beginning of 2021 also underlines the strict legal requirements that would have to be met in the case of a pure postal vote in the event of a pandemic in order to change the right to vote. However, the report also restricts the fact that “going to the polls” is so important in a democracy that “it is impossible to see why it should not be available as a voluntary option while maintaining certain supply and economic areas at the same time.”

Federal Returning Officer Thiel assured in an interview with tagesschau.de: “Postal voting is safe.” So far, there has never been any evidence of manipulation to such an extent that it would have influenced the election result.

What are the consequences of a high percentage of postal voters?

The increasing number of postal voters poses a challenge for Infratest dimap when it comes to forecasting, because the post-election survey in the polling stations is the basis for the 6pm forecast. “The postal voters are not included in this post-election survey and must be factored in using our area code surveys and past experience,” said Infratest-dimap managing director Kunert. “In this respect, the 6 o’clock numbers can show a slightly larger difference to the final result than four years ago.”

However, it should not have any influence on the projections. After 6 p.m., the counted results are included in the projections, according to Infratest dimap. As always, both a sample of ballot box and postal voting districts are selected in advance. Postal voting should be given due consideration in the course of the evening.

How do you actually vote by letter?

If you want to vote by letter, you have to apply for a voting slip in the municipality where you live. The application can be made in person and in writing – but some of the documents can also be applied for online. However, a phone call is not enough.

Anyone who has already received a voting notification can use the form on the back and fill it in and return it. Eligible voters can also personally pick up their postal voting documents – and hand them in later.

By when do the applications have to be submitted?

In any case, the application should be made as early as possible. The Federal Returning Officer also specifically points this out. The last option is the Friday before the election until 6 p.m. But there are also exceptions. In the event of sudden illness, for example, you can apply for a voting slip on election day until 3 p.m.

The postal voting documents can – theoretically – be sent since mid-August. There is no uniform delivery date.

Postal voting abroad is also possible. Here, however, voters should remember that they have to make sure that the letter arrives on time. The last option here is election Sunday until 6 p.m. The Federal Returning Officer recommends sending voting letters from non-European countries by airmail.

What documents do you get?

The ballot paper is one of the postal voting documents. First and second votes can then be ticked. This voting slip must be put into the blue voting slip envelope and sealed. Finally, the blue envelope has to go into the red polling envelope.

The address is also given on the back. The voting slip also belongs in the red envelope – it must be signed (affidavit). Then the envelope must be sealed and can be sent. If you send it within Germany, you don’t need a postage stamp.