EU citizens in Germany: Register until 17 May for European Parliament elections!

EU citizens living in Germany who want to vote at the European Parliament elections in Germany have to register until 17 May 2009 at their local administration!

The press release of the Federal Returning Officer:

2009 European Election: deadline for application of Germans living abroad and Union citizens ending on 17 May

WIESBADEN – The Federal Returning Officer points out that from three aspects 17 May 2009 is an important key date in the run-up to the 2009 European Election. Until that day, Germans living abroad and Union citizens in Germany who intend to vote here have to apply for entry in the voters’ register. By 17 May 2009, all persons entitled to vote in the European election will have received their notification on which the polling station will be indicated where they may cast their vote on 7 June 2009.

As a rule, the names of those wishing to cast their votes in Germany in the 2009 European Election have to be entered in a voters’ register. The voters’ register lists all persons entitled to vote in a polling district. All those eligible to vote who were registered with the municipal registration office of their main place of residence on 3 May 2009, the 35th day before the election, will ex officio be entered in the voters’ register and receive a voter’s notification.

As soon as possible, Germans living abroad who wish to vote in Germany have to file an application for entry in the voters’ register of the municipality where they were last registered before leaving Germany. The application must have been received by the municipality by 17 May 2009. Germans living abroad who upon application had been entered in a voters’ register at the last European Election in 2004 need to file another such application for the 2009 European Election. More detailed information and the application form are available to Germans living abroad from all embassies and consulates of the Federal Republic of Germany or on the website of the Federal Returning Officer.

Citizens of other EU member states living in Germany who wish to elect the German members in the 2009 European Election also need to have their names entered in a German voters’ register. To this end, they have to file an application for entry in the voters’ register with the municipal authority of their German place of residence. The application must have been received there by 17 May 2009. An exception to this rule are Union citizens who had been entered in the voters’ register for the 2004 European Election and since then have not been deleted from the voters’ register upon application or because they moved to a foreign country: they will ex officio be entered in the voters’ register. Union citizens in Germany may obtain more detailed information and the application form from the municipal authority where they live or on the website of the Federal Returning Officer.

From 18 up to and including 22 May 2009, the voters’ registers may be inspected by persons entitled to vote at the respective municipal authorities during general opening hours. Citizens who will not have received a voters’ notification by 17 May 2009 but think they are nevertheless entitled to vote should contact the electoral office at their main place of residence without further delay so that the decision can be reviewed.

So EU citizens in Germany, register and make that the the expat vote is not as low as expected!