If all the other conditions mentioned above are met, Germans who have not resided in a place of residence for three months on election day (Germans residing abroad) but who have had a domicile or habitual residence in Germany for at least three months after reaching the age of 14 and not more than 25 years before also have the right to vote. On request, they are registered on the electoral register of their last place of residence in Germany and can vote by post from abroad. It is important to request and return the absentee ballot in a timely manner. Men in military service who turned 19 during World War I were eligible to vote in 1918, regardless of age, under the People`s Representation Act of 1918, which also allowed some women over 30 to vote. The Representation of the People (Equal Suffrage) Act of 1928,[45] lowered the voting age for women to 21. The National Assembly for Wales passed the Senedd and Election (Wales) Act on 27 November 2019. [64] A vote in favour of abolishing this right was rejected by 41 votes to 11. At what age should one be eligible to vote? The issue is currently being discussed in Germany, as some political parties campaign to lower the voting age to 16 in regional elections. 17 states allow 17-year-olds to participate in primaries and caucuses if they turn 18 on Election Day: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico,[83] North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, Vermont, and West Virginia. Iowa, Minnesota and Nevada allow 17-year-olds to vote in all presidential elections, but are not allowed to participate in primaries for other positions. Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Washington and Wyoming allow 17-year-olds to participate only in Democratic factions, but not in the Republican caucus. [84] In particular, the Greens and FDP, which received the most votes among young people, stressed the importance of capturing their political enthusiasm.

Even if you don`t have the right to vote, there are many other ways to become politically active. A poll conducted before last month`s federal election showed that young people were frustrated at not being able to participate in an election seen as revolutionary and dominated by the over-50s, who made up the majority – 60% – of voters. Only 14% of voters were under the age of 30, down from 19% in 1961. This section was amended on 22 October 2021 to include Wales in the list of places where 16-year-olds are allowed to vote in certain elections. Der 26. The amendment to the Constitution (adopted and ratified in 1971)[80] prevents states from setting an electoral age above 18. [81] In addition to the express restrictions provided for in Amendments XIV, XV, XIX, and XXVI, elective qualifications for elections to the House of Representatives and the Senate are largely delegated to the states under Article I, Section 2 and Amendment XVII of the United States Constitution, each of which states: “The House of Representatives shall consist of the members of: elected every two years by the people of each state. and the electors of each state must have the necessary qualifications for the electors of the largest branch of the state legislature.

” and “The United States Senate shall consist of two senators from each state, elected by the people of that state, for a six-year term; and each senator has one vote. The electors of each state must have the necessary qualifications to respond to the electors of the largest branch of the state legislatures. [82] Every person who has reached the age of 18 has the right to vote (Article 38(2) of the GG). In accordance with Paragraph 12(1) of the Federal Electoral Act, the following persons have the right to vote: all Germans within the meaning of Paragraph 116(1) GG who are at least 18 years of age on election day, who have had their domicile or habitual residence in the Federal Republic of Germany for at least three months and who are not excluded from the right to vote. For the first time in Germany, young people aged 16 and over will be allowed to vote in the next European elections in May 2024, after the Bundestag passed a bill to lower the minimum voting age. The Voter`s Notice, which is sent to each eligible elector, also includes an application form for a mail-in voting card. With this voting card, voters can vote at a polling station in their constituency other than the one indicated on the voting card (for example, at a polling station accessible to people with disabilities) or they can vote by mail. Voters can apply for voter cards until 18:00 on the Friday before the election and, in exceptional situations (e.g. sudden illness), until 15:00 on election day. Voter cards can be requested in writing or in person from the municipality, by fax or email, but not by telephone.

Where a request for the electronic transmission of electoral documents is sent to an address other than the voter`s place of residence, the competent authority shall also send a notification to the voter`s place of residence in order to confirm that the voter has actually sent the application and to avoid abuse.

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