TestZen · Einbürgerungstest · Practice

133. What is permitted in elections to the Bundestag and the Landtage in Germany?

Official German wording

Was ist bei Bundestags- und Landtagswahlen in Deutschland erlaubt?

  1. Der Ehemann wählt für seine Frau mit.
  2. Man kann durch Briefwahl seine Stimme abgeben.
  3. Man kann am Wahltag telefonisch seine Stimme abgeben.
  4. Kinder ab dem Alter von 14 Jahren dürfen wählen.

Answer options

  1. The husband casts a vote on behalf of his wife.
  2. One may cast one’s vote by postal ballot (postal voting).
  3. One can cast one’s vote by telephone on election day.
  4. Children from the age of 14 are allowed to vote.

Correct answer

One may cast one’s vote by postal ballot (postal voting).

Explanation

Under Article 38(1) sentence 1 GG and Article 28(1) sentence 2 GG, the principles of universal, direct, free, equal, and secret suffrage apply; this entails personal voting without proxy (with a limited exception for assisted voting for persons with disabilities while preserving secrecy). Postal voting is legally permitted (§ 24 Federal Election Act), introduced in 1957 and since 2008 without any need to state reasons, with analogous provisions in state electoral laws. Voting by telephone is impermissible because it would undermine secrecy, verifiability, and the public nature of elections (cf. Federal Constitutional Court on the publicity of elections, 2 BvC 3/07). The voting age for Bundestag elections is 18 (Art. 38(2) GG); several Länder permit 16 in state elections, but not 14.

Official sources

The German questions come from the original BAMF catalog for the Einbürgerungstest and Leben in Deutschland. Translations and explanations are study aids; verify legal details in the official sources.