TestZen · Einbürgerungstest · Practice

5. Elections in Germany are free. What does that mean?

Official German wording

Wahlen in Deutschland sind frei. Was bedeutet das?

  1. Man darf Geld annehmen, wenn man dafür einen bestimmten Kandidaten / eine bestimmte Kandidatin wählt.
  2. Der Wähler darf bei der Wahl weder beeinflusst noch zu einer bestimmten Stimmabgabe gezwungen werden und keine Nachteile durch die Wahl haben.
  3. Nur Personen, die noch nie im Gefängnis waren, dürfen wählen.
  4. Alle wahlberechtigten Personen müssen wählen.

Answer options

  1. One may accept money in return for voting for a particular candidate.
  2. The voter may neither be subjected to undue influence nor be compelled to cast a particular vote and must not suffer any disadvantages because of their vote.
  3. Only persons who have never been in prison may vote.
  4. All eligible voters must vote.

Correct answer

The voter may neither be subjected to undue influence nor be compelled to cast a particular vote and must not suffer any disadvantages because of their vote.

Explanation

The principle of free elections (Art. 38(1) sentence 1 Basic Law; Art. 28(1) Basic Law) guarantees that voters form and express their will without coercion, intimidation, or undue influence; voter coercion and vote-buying are criminal offenses (secs. 107 et seq., 108b German Criminal Code). Freedom of election also entails the freedom not to vote; there is no compulsory voting at the federal level. The secrecy of the ballot serves as an institutional safeguard of freedom by preventing social or employer pressure. Imprisonment does not generally entail disenfranchisement; exclusions are exceptional and require a specific judicial order (e.g., sec. 45 Criminal Code; sec. 13 Federal Election Act).

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.