Bundestag election; submission of an election proposal

Each political party can submit an election proposal (state list or district election proposal). District election nominations (at constituency level) may also be submitted by individual voters or groups of voters.

The constituency nominations are to be submitted by the parties or individual voters for the respective constituency (a constituency generally consists of one district or one independent city; depending on the population, constituencies can also consist of several districts or independent cities or parts thereof) and must be submitted to the district returning officer, who is based at the district administration office or the independent city. The district election proposals are examined there. The district electoral committee decides in a public meeting on the approval of the proposals.

The state list proposals must be submitted to the state returning officer.

Parties that are not represented in the German Bundestag or a Land parliament must first notify the Federal Returning Officer of their participation (see "Related topics"). The Federal Electoral Committee must determine their right to participate.

An election proposal for a Land list must, among other things, be signed by 1 in every thousand of those eligible to vote in the Land at the last Bundestag election, but by no more than 2,000 eligible voters if the party has not previously been represented in the Bundestag or a Land parliament.

A district election proposal for a direct candidate in the constituency must be signed by at least 200 eligible voters in the constituency if it is submitted by a party not previously represented in the Bundestag or a Land parliament or by individual eligible voters.

Relevant publishers offer the forms required for the submission of nominations. The official forms required for the supporting signatures are issued exclusively by the respective Land or district returning officer.

Nominations must be submitted by 6 p.m. on the 69th day before the election at the latest.