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The official question catalogue has 15 questions on this topic. In the app you practise them with instant feedback and in the exam simulation.
Every four years: the legislative term
The Federal Parliament (Bundestag) is elected for four years. The legislative term does not end until the newly elected Federal Parliament meets for its first sitting.
Exceptionally, the Federal Parliament can be dissolved early. A new election then takes place sooner.
Two votes, two routes
With the first vote you vote for a person in your constituency. With the second vote you vote for a party's state list. The second vote is decisive: the more second votes a party gets, the more seats it receives in the Federal Parliament.
The electoral system therefore combines majority voting (first vote) and proportional representation (second vote). A government majority, however, usually comes about only through a coalition. The party with the most votes therefore does not automatically govern alone.
The 5 per cent threshold
A party must in principle reach at least five per cent of the second votes to win seats in the Federal Parliament. This minimum share is called the 5 per cent threshold, or Sperrklausel in German.
The purpose of the threshold: it is meant to prevent very many small parties from fragmenting parliament. Otherwise it would be harder to form stable majorities.
There is a transitional rule, the so-called basic mandate clause. Parties below five per cent are still taken into account if they win the most first votes in at least three constituencies. The exact rule may change. The Federal Returning Officer states the current position.
An example: if a party receives 4.9 per cent of the second votes, it does not enter the Federal Parliament via the list. The transitional rule can still apply, however, if it meets the condition regarding the constituencies.
Who can vote, and how?
Anyone listed in the electoral register receives an election notification from the municipality before the election. It states the election day, voting hours and polling place. You may vote from the age of 18.
If you cannot or do not want to go to the polling station on election day, you may cast a postal vote. For this, you apply to the municipality for a polling card and the postal voting documents.
The Basic Law (Grundgesetz) sets out the electoral principles: the election is universal, direct, free, equal and secret. Nobody may cast another person's vote, not even a spouse. Every vote counts equally.
Counting and invalid votes
After the polling station closes, the election board counts the votes. The volunteer election helpers take part in this. They determine the result in the voting district.
A ballot paper is valid if each vote is clearly marked. If several choices are marked for the same vote, or if the voter's intention remains unclear, that vote is invalid.
These 15 questions are in the test
- 93Je mehr „Zweitstimmen“ eine Partei bei einer Bundestagswahl bekommt, desto …
- 105Was ist eine Aufgabe von Wahlhelfern / Wahlhelferinnen in Deutschland?
- 106In Deutschland helfen ehrenamtliche Wahlhelfer und Wahlhelferinnen bei den Wahlen. Was ist eine Aufgabe von Wahlhelfern / Wahlhelferinnen?
- 107Für wie viele Jahre wird der Bundestag in Deutschland gewählt?
- 109Wie oft gibt es normalerweise Bundestagswahlen in Deutschland?
- 110Für wie viele Jahre wird der Bundestag in Deutschland gewählt?
- 113Wahlen in Deutschland gewinnt die Partei, die …
- 117Wie viel Prozent der Zweitstimmen müssen Parteien mindestens bekommen, um in den Deutschen Bundestag gewählt zu werden?
- 120Das Wahlsystem in Deutschland ist ein …
- 121Eine Partei möchte in den Deutschen Bundestag. Sie muss aber einen Mindestanteil an Wählerstimmen haben. Das heißt …
- 123Was ist in Deutschland die „5 %-Hürde“?
- 126Was bekommen wahlberechtigte Bürger und Bürgerinnen in Deutschland vor einer Wahl?
- 127Warum gibt es die 5 %-Hürde im Wahlgesetz der Bundesrepublik Deutschland? Es gibt sie, weil …
- 130Welcher Stimmzettel wäre bei einer Bundestagswahl gültig?
- 133Was ist bei Bundestags- und Landtagswahlen in Deutschland erlaubt?
Each question with its explanation is on the question pages. You can practise with answers in the app.
SourcesDas Wahlsystem - Die BundeswahlleiterinInformationen für Wahlhelfende - Die BundeswahlleiterinDie Bundeswahlleiterin: BriefwahlGrundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland
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