Elections
Elections and democracy are closely linked. Without regular elections, there is no democracy. Those who vote participate in the political decision-making process.
The right to vote is enshrined in the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany. According to Article 20 of the Basic Law, all state authority emanates from the people and is exercised in elections and referendums and through special organs of the legislature, the executive and the judiciary.
Electoral principles
Elections in Germany are universal, direct, free, equal and secret.
- General means that every citizen can vote.
- Directly means that the voters elect the candidates without the intermediary of electoral commissioners.
- Free means that no pressure may be exerted on the voters.
- Equal means that each vote carries the same weight.
- Secret means that nobody can know who has voted and how - unless the voter makes this known themselves.
A distinction is made between active and passive voting rights:
- The right to vote is the right to actively participate in elections by casting a vote.
- Passive suffrage (eligibility for election) refers to a person’s right to stand for election.