Voters in Berlin are now gradually receiving their election notices by mail. (File photo)
© dpa
With just under six weeks to go before the election for the Berlin House of Representatives, the mailing of approximately 2.75 million voter registration notices has begun.
According to the State Election Commission, all eligible voters should have received the documents in their mailboxes by August 30. The envelope contains the official notices for the state parliamentary election and for the elections to the twelve district councils (BVV). It also includes information on the respective polling place.
The mailing of election materials traditionally marks the start of the absentee voting process. Those who have already requested absentee ballots, which until now could only be requested by mail, will now receive them in the mail. At the same time, applications for absentee ballots can now also be submitted online, by email (including your name, registered address and date of birth), or in person at an absentee ballot office in your district. For the latter option, you’ll need to present an ID card or passport. It’s even easier to use the absentee ballot application form located on the back of the election notification. Using a QR code, you can electronically request absentee ballot materials. According to the State Election Commission, these materials include a voting card, the official ballots along with envelopes and an information sheet.
About 2.5 million Berliners are eligible to vote in the AGH election. In the BVV elections, the figure is around 2.75 million, including EU citizens without German citizenship who are not allowed to vote in the election for the House of Representatives. Applications for absentee voting can be submitted until September 18 (3 p.m.). However, the election materials containing the ballots must arrive by 6 p.m. on Election Day, September 20. If they arrive later, they will not be counted.
However, those who wish to vote by mail do not necessarily have to return the documents by mail: In principle, it is also possible to cast a mail-in ballot at a local mail-in voting center. There, voters can not only request the documents but also fill them out on the spot and deposit them in a ballot box. Alternatively, voters can drop off mail-in ballots that they have filled out at home at their own pace directly at the center. There are several absentee voting centers in each district. They are usually located in city halls or municipal offices.