Elections in Germany: Bundestag and the ballot

The Bundestag election every 4 years picks parliament. Two-vote system: Erststimme = for the person in your district, Zweitstimme = for the party, the more important one — it determines parliamentary seats proportionally. 5% threshold: parties under 5% don’t enter Bundestag (protection from fragmentation). From 18, written ballot or postal vote. Turnout ~75% — high.

• ●Zweitstimme counts more: party seats follow it
• ●Postal vote = convenient, strict deadlines
• ●Wahl-O-Mat by bpb = your party compass in 5 min