Germans abroad urged to register early for February election

Germany is urging citizens living abroad to promptly register in the electoral roll if they wish to participate in the upcoming election set for February 23.

Applications for registration can already be submitted to local authorities, the Federal Returning Officer’s press office confirmed to dpa on request.

Germans living abroad are defined as citizens who are not registered in Germany.

On Friday, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier dissolved parliament and called for early elections on February 23, seven months ahead of the originally scheduled date.

The decision followed the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition in November and a failed confidence motion in his government on December 16.

The Federal Returning Officer said that the period for postal voting would be shorter due to the tightened timelines and advised voters to send back completed ballots as early as possible to avoid delays.

The municipality of the last registered German address is typically responsible for sending postal voting documents to expatriates.