Press release no. 02/19 of 13. Februar 2019

2019 European Parliament election: Union citizens entitled to vote also in Germany

WIESBADEN – The Federal Returning Officer reports that citizens of the other 27 ¹ member states of the European Union (Union citizens) who live in the Federal Republic of Germany may participate in Germany in the European Parliament election to be held on 26 May 2019.

Since the 1994 European Parliament election, each Union citizen entitled to vote has had the opportunity to 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 must do so personally.

Union citizens wishing to participate in the election of the members of the European Parliament from 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 2014 European Parliament election will automatically be entered into the voters’ register for the 2019 European Parliament election. They will receive their voter's notification by 5 May 2019.

All other Union citizens wishing to participate in Germany in the 2019 European Parliament election have to apply for entry into the voters’ register by 5 May 2019. 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.

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 European Parliament election 2019 → Information for voters → Union citizens.

From mid-February 2019, 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 foreign missions of the countries of origin provide further information on legal aspects and the relevant procedures. In this case, those who were listed in a voters’ register in Germany for the last European Parliament election of 2014 have to file an application with the local authority of their place of residence in Germany by 5 May 2019 so as to be deleted from the register of voters.

Union citizens may also be nominated by parties and other political associations as candidates for the 2019 European Parliament 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

1  … in one of the other 26 Member States of the European Union if, in keeping with the notification made in accordance with Article 50 paragraph 2 of the EU Treaty of 29 March 2017, the Treaties have ceased to apply to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland pursuant to Article 50 paragraph 3 of the EU Treaty at the time the election is held.

2  Not applicable if, in keeping with the notification made in accordance with Article 50 paragraph 2 of the EU Treaty of 29 March 2017, the Treaties have ceased to apply to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland pursuant to Article 50 paragraph 3 of the EU Treaty at the time the election is held.