As many as 210,297 German citizens living abroad have registered to vote in the upcoming Bundestag election, a record high, according to the latest figures from the Federal Returning Officer. This represents a 60 percent increase in the number of Germans abroad casting their ballots compared to the 2021 Bundestag election, when 128,929 applications from expatriate Germans were approved.
The number of absentee ballots from Germans abroad is on a record high this year, with the Federal Returning Officer, Ruth Brand, stating that the figure is “not yet final and can still increase until the election day.” There may be additional cases reported and further applications can still be approved if it is proven that the deadline was missed without fault.
The deadline for submitting registration applications to the electoral roll closed on February 2, 2025. The final total will only be known after the election, once all late reports have been received, according to the Federal Returning Officer.