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Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) represent citizens of the European Union member states.
Source:
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Since 1979, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have been directly elected in the member states using voting procedures largely standardised in European law in accordance with national electoral law. Ninety-six of these MEPs are elected in Germany.
Legal basis
MEPs have been directly elected by the citizens of the European Union every five years since 1979.
The 10th European elections will take place in the 27 member states of the European Union between 6 and 9 June 2024. In Germany, the elections will be held on Sunday, 9 June 2024.
A total of 720 officials are elected to the European Parliament, 96 of whom are elected in Germany.
EU citizens elect a minimum of six and a maximum of 96 officials to the European Parliament in each member state, depending on the size of a member state’s population. However, member states with smaller populations have more seats per citizen to ensure that they have a say in the decision-making process. A minimum number of seats per member state also ensures that the diversity of parties in the smaller states is represented.
At the same time, there is a maximum number of seats in order to ensure that there are not too many MEPs from any given state.
Germany has the largest population in the European Union and sends 96 officials to the European Parliament. Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta each have six seats.
MEPs are elected in general, direct, free, equal and secret elections to a five-year term year according to national law in the member states. Each member state may determine the details of the elections itself. However, they still need to observe the EU laws that apply to all member states.
European law
Article 14 (2) and (3) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU).
Article 22 (2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). - Council Directive 93/109/EC
Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage (Direct Elections Act)
The first-ever European elections were held between 7 and 10 June 1979. The elections are to take place around this period in the final year of the five-year term (Article 11 (2) of the Direct Elections Act; Direktwahlakt, DWA).
Elections are held within a uniform period of time for all member states between a Thursday morning and the following Sunday (Article 10 (1) of the Direct Elections Act). In Germany, the Federal Government sets the election date, which must fall on a Sunday or public holiday, within this period (section 7 of the European Elections Act; Europawahlgesetz, EuWG). In Germany, the elections will be held on Sunday, 9 June 2024.
What voting system is used in the elections?
The elections follow the principles of (pure) proportional representation. Each member state may determine the details of the elections itself.
In Germany, each voter may cast one vote for a list of candidates nominated by a party or other political association (section 2 (1) and section 8 of the European Elections Act).
Unlike the Bundestag election, there are no constituencies in the European elections. The electoral area is the Federal Republic of Germany.
Voters may cast their vote in approximately 90,000 polling districts, including 10,000 postal voting districts.
In Germany, MEPs are elected on the basis of proportional representation using nomination lists. Closed lists are used, which means that voters cannot change the order of candidates on the list.
Does a certain threshold need to be reached?
No, there is no threshold that needs to be reached in the European elections. This means that a party does not need a minimum percentage of the votes to enter the European Parliament.
Who can be elected to the European Parliament?
German citizens as defined in Article 116 (1) of the German Basic Law who are at least 18 years old on election day, regardless of their place of residence, and who are not excluded from the right to vote or stand for election are eligible for election. EU citizens who have had an abode or have otherwise been permanently resident in the Federal Republic of Germany are also eligible for election, provided that on the day of the election they are at least 18 years old and have not been excluded from the right to vote or stand for election in Germany or in their home member state (section 6 (b) of the European Elections Act).
Who is eligible to vote?
All German citizens as defined in Article 116 (1) of the German Basic Law are eligible to elect officials from the Federal Republic of Germany to the European Parliament, provided that they are at least 16 years old on election day,
have occupied a residence or have been normally resident in the Federal Republic of Germany for at least three months and
are not excluded from the right to vote for special reasons (section 6 (1) of the European Elections Act).
Can German citizens living in a non-EU country vote?
German citizens who do not live in the Federal Republic of Germany or any other member state of the European Union are also eligible to vote, provided that they
occupied a residence or were normally resident in the Federal Republic of Germany for at least three months after attaining the age of 14 and this period of residence is no more than 25 years ago, or
are for other reasons personally and directly familiar with the political circumstances in the Federal Republic of Germany and are affected by them (section 6 (2) of the European Elections Act in conjunction with section 12 (2) of the Federal Electoral Act; Bundeswahlgesetz, BWahlG).
This includes German citizens employed in non-EU countries, cross-border German workers, and German citizens living in non-EU countries who are significantly involved in German politics and society through their activity in associations, parties or other organisations and can demonstrate their involvement.
Like German citizens living in other EU member states, all German citizens living in non-EU countries who are eligible to vote can request to be added to the electoral register in their last place of residence in Germany and may then also vote by post. If the individual in question has never been registered as a resident in Germany, the responsible authority is the electoral office of the Mitte district of Berlin.
In order to be able to vote, the poll card for postal voting must be requested on time and sent off as soon as possible to ensure that it arrives at the responsible authority by 6:00 p.m. on election day at the latest.
Information and application form for German citizens living in non-EU countries:
Can citizens of other EU member states also vote in Germany?
Citizens of other member states of the European Union who have an abode or are otherwise permanently resident in the Federal Republic of Germany are entitled to vote under the same conditions as German citizens (section 6 (3) of the European Elections Act; Article 22 (2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union).
If they wish to elect German MEPs and this is their first time voting in the European elections in Germany, they must apply to be added to the electoral register. Their application must be submitted to the local authority of their German place of residence. They will then automatically receive a poll card for the European elections in Germany, provided that they have not requested to have their name removed from the electoral register.
EU citizens who wish to elect MEPs from their home country should contact the diplomatic and consular representation of their home country and have their name removed from the German electoral register by 19 May.
Who can submit nominations?
Nominations may be submitted by parties and other political associations. Individuals cannot stand as candidates in the European elections.
In Germany, nominations may be submitted by parties and other associations with organised memberships whose aim is to participate in developing informed political opinion and representing the people. Their seat, management, activity and members must be in the territories of the member states of the European Union (other political associations; section 8 (1) European Elections Act).
Political associations include:
alliances of German and foreign parties
supranational associations at European level
voters’ associations created for the European elections
A party or other political association may either submit one list for each federal state or a combined list for all the federal states (section 2 (1) sentence 2 of the European Elections Act).
A candidate may be nominated by only one party or other political association on no more than two lists for the federal states or on one national list, and may be nominated in only one EU member state (section 9 (2) of the European Elections Act).
Where does voting take place?
As a rule, voters cast their ballots at polling stations. For voting in exceptional cases (smaller hospitals, care homes, prisons and the like), votes may be cast using special polling districts or mobile electoral boards (sections 8 and 13 of the European Electoral Regulations; Europawahlordnung, EuWO).
On request, voters may cast their ballot using a poll card at any polling station in their district or by postal ballot (section 24 et seqq. of the European Electoral Regulations).
How can people with vision impairment or low vision vote in secret?
The German Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted (DBSV) provides tactile voting devices for voters who are blind and voters with vision impairment. The tactile voting devices enable these voters to independently exercise their right to vote and to cast their ballot without assistance.
Information of the German Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted (DBSV):
The DBSV has launched a pilot project for the 2024 European elections. Since the end of April, voters have been able to receive accessible information online and by telephone for the first time.
After the polling stations have closed, the electoral boards publicly count the results. The district returning officers compile and announce the results for their districts, the state returning officers compile and announce the results for their federal states, and the Federal Returning Officer compiles and announces the national results (section 60 et seqq. of the European Electoral Regulations).
Is it possible to appeal the vote?
Any individual or group of persons entitled to vote may challenge the validity of an election within two months of election day. The German Bundestag decides in such cases.
An objection to the decision made by the German Bundestag in the scrutiny procedure may be lodged with the Federal Constitutional Court (section 26 of the European Elections Act).
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