Press release no. 02/2014 of 12. Februar 2014

Union citizens entitled to vote also in Germany

WIESBADEN – As reported by the Federal Returning Officer, citizens of the other 27 member states of the European Union (Union citizens) who live in the Federal Republic of Germany may participate in Germany in the European election to be held on 25 May 2014.

Since the 1994 European Election, each Union citizen entitled to vote may exercise the right to vote either in the member state of residence or in the member state of origin. However, each Union citizen may exercise the right to vote only once and only personally.

Union citizens wishing to participate in the election of the members of the European Parliament from of the Federal Republic of Germany have to be listed in the voters’ register of the municipal authority of their place of residence in Germany. Union citizens who were listed in a register of voters in Germany for the 2009 European Election will automatically be entered into the voters’ register of their place of residence for the 2014 European Election. They will receive their notification by 4 May 2014.

All other Union citizens wishing to participate in Germany in the 2014 European Election have to apply for entry into the voters’ register by 4 May 2014. This also holds for Union citizens who moved to a foreign country in the meantime but now live in Germany again or were deleted from the voters’ register upon application. In cases of doubt the municipal authority of the place of residence will provide further information.

All Union citizens will find the required application forms and more detailed information on the exact preconditions for being entitled to vote in Germany and the procedure of being entered into the voters’ register on the website of the Federal Returning Officer in the section “Service für Unionsbürger” at www.bundeswahlleiter.de.

From mid-February/beginning of March 2014, application forms will be available also from the electoral offices of the municipalities.

Union citizens wishing to vote for candidates from their country of origin running for the election to the European Parliament are asked to contact the competent authorities in their country of origin. The diplomatic missions of the countries of origin will provide further legal and procedural information. In this case, those who were listed in a voters’ register in Germany for the last European Election of 2009 have to file an application with the local authority of their place of residence in Germany by 4 May 2014 so as not to be listed in the register of voters.

Union citizens may also be nominated by parties and other political associations as candidates for the 2014 European Election in the Federal Republic of Germany.

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