European Elections 2024: Voting Guidelines and Party Details
The European elections are fast approaching, and this year voters across the European Union will be making critical decisions from June 6th to 9th, 2024. Specifically, in Germany, the elections are set for Sunday, June 9th. This event will see the election of new members to the European Parliament, encompassing a total of 27 EU member states and 720 representatives.
A major change for this election is that 16-year-olds will be allowed to vote in the EU elections for the first time. Moreover, voters can opt for postal voting with documents being sent out immediately upon application, making voting more accessible to everyone.
An interesting aspect of these elections pertains to the provision of ballot papers. For cost-related reasons, not all parties have printed physical ballots. Many minor parties, unable to bear the high costs of printing for 49.5 million voters, encourage voters to download and print their ballots at home. Major parties like CDU, CSU, Greens, and others have sufficient funds to print ballots, while others like the Pirate Party offer downloadable ballots on their official websites.
The order of parties on the ballot paper varies by federal state, determined by the results of the European elections in 2019. For example, in most states, the CDU will appear at the top, while in Bavaria, the CSU holds that position. The election system is built on closed lists, which means voters mark their support for a party and cannot select individual candidates.
Notably, prominent figures like Ursula von der Leyen, the CDU’s top national candidate, will not appear on the ballot due to her candidacy for the presidency of the EU Commission. The CDU, among other parties, leverages well-known faces to appeal to voters, even though these names do not appear on the ballot papers.
Voters must ensure they use the correct format for their ballots, which can often be downloaded from prefecture websites. Incorrect ballots could invalidate votes, making it crucial for voters to follow the guidelines set by the national electoral commission.
Finally, undecided voters have the option to use tools like Wahl-O-Mat, which helps align their positions with the election programs of different parties. Surveys currently suggest that mainstream parties like the Union are ahead, but the landscape is set to be dynamic until election day.
- Additional information regarding the ballots and voting includes the fact that Communist Party, LFI, PS, EELV, Renaissance, LR, RN, and Reconquête have printed ballots available for voters in polling stations. The reimbursement of electoral propaganda costs applies to parties obtaining more than 3% of the votes.
- The electoral area for the EU elections in Germany is the entire Federal Republic, unlike other elections that have specific constituencies. The European elections maintain a simpler process with one vote per voter for a party, rather than individual candidates.
- For accuracy, voters are encouraged to download their sample ballot papers from official websites to avoid any invalid votes.
