The German federal election thread
- Thread starter Anonymous X
- Start date
A quick summary of the "Reichsbürger" movement, which predates QAnon:
One other silly aspect Andrew doesn't address is the belief that modern day Germany isn't a sovereign country, but... a company.
Evidence for this conspiracy theory: The German citizen ID is called "Personalausweis", which can be interpreted to mean "staff ID". So we're not citizens but staff!
Also, there is something called the "Bundesrepublik Deutschland Finanzagentur GmbH", with the "Finanzagentur" part conveniently omitted by the conspiracy morons. Nevermind that this existing entity is not identical to the country, it's just what it's named. Imagine the US government operating a "United States of America Financial Administration LLC". That doesn't magically make the US of A itself a corporation, but when have facts and common sense ever stopped conspiracy wackos?
One other silly aspect Andrew doesn't address is the belief that modern day Germany isn't a sovereign country, but... a company.
Evidence for this conspiracy theory: The German citizen ID is called "Personalausweis", which can be interpreted to mean "staff ID". So we're not citizens but staff!
Also, there is something called the "Bundesrepublik Deutschland Finanzagentur GmbH", with the "Finanzagentur" part conveniently omitted by the conspiracy morons. Nevermind that this existing entity is not identical to the country, it's just what it's named. Imagine the US government operating a "United States of America Financial Administration LLC". That doesn't magically make the US of A itself a corporation, but when have facts and common sense ever stopped conspiracy wackos?
Last edited:
Since I keep reading about efforts at voter suppression in other countries, I'd like to explain how things are done in Germany.
First, elections are always held on Sundays, when stores and businesses are closed. That means outside essential workers, nobody has to worry about their working schedule on election day.
Second, German citizens have been required to have a photo ID for longer than I've been alive. That means requiring a photo ID for participating in an election will not keep anyone from voting by design.
Third, German citizens are required to register a primary address of residence with the local authorities. That means the organizers of local, state and federal elections can simply pull the names of all registered citizens of voting age from the list of residents. (Deceased citizens are also struck from the registry by default.) That means you don't have to actively register as a voter, since the authorities already have you on record. You only need to contact the authorities ahead of an election if your address is going to change before the election, or you are not going to be near your registered primary address on the day of the election for whatever reason.
All registered citizens automatically receive a notification a month or two before the election. That notification assigns each citizen a designated polling place close to their registered place of residence. By default, you can only vote at that specific polling place because it's the only one that has your name and address in its voter list. Typical polling places are public schools, retirement homes and other institutions owned by the city. (There can be multiple polling places in the same building if it has enough available rooms.) Bringing the notification with you to the polling place on election day helps tremendously, since it assigns each citizen a number in that polling place's voter list, so rather than searching for your address, the poll workers simply have to look up your number.
Identification is handled differently depending on the poll workers. Some require a photo ID, others consider the notification sufficient. Generally, though, if a poll worker is acquainted with a voter, no ID is required. Since the poll workers are often local residents themselves, this isn't really that uncommon.
Poll workers can either volunteer or be drafted. Unfortunately, once you have volunteered, you will typically be drafted for each subsequent election because of your experience. The only ways to get out are by reaching retirement age, moving to a completely different city, or dying.
That means poll workers will waste a Sunday every time there's an election. On the upside, you get a modest financial compensation (tax free). Also, usually there are enough poll workers assigned per polling place so they can organize themselves into taking shifts, meaning they only waste some hours on a Sunday.
Poll workers are usually assigned to the same polling place for each subsequent election (unless they request a reassignment). In my experience, the poll workers aren't that familiar with each other outside the elections themselves, and can actually have very different political views. That minimizes the risk of collusion to rig the election.
The election itself is public, though the specific process of casting a vote takes place in secret behind a privacy cover. German elections still use paper ballots that are marked with a pen or a non-erasable pencil by the voter. The ballot is pre-folded to ensure the voter can fold it together correctly and drop it in the ballot box without anyone being able to see the vote. (If the voter fails to fold the ballot correctly and the vote is visible, the ballot is put aside, destroyed, and the voter is handed a new ballot to ensure the secrecy of the ballot.)
First, elections are always held on Sundays, when stores and businesses are closed. That means outside essential workers, nobody has to worry about their working schedule on election day.
Second, German citizens have been required to have a photo ID for longer than I've been alive. That means requiring a photo ID for participating in an election will not keep anyone from voting by design.
Third, German citizens are required to register a primary address of residence with the local authorities. That means the organizers of local, state and federal elections can simply pull the names of all registered citizens of voting age from the list of residents. (Deceased citizens are also struck from the registry by default.) That means you don't have to actively register as a voter, since the authorities already have you on record. You only need to contact the authorities ahead of an election if your address is going to change before the election, or you are not going to be near your registered primary address on the day of the election for whatever reason.
All registered citizens automatically receive a notification a month or two before the election. That notification assigns each citizen a designated polling place close to their registered place of residence. By default, you can only vote at that specific polling place because it's the only one that has your name and address in its voter list. Typical polling places are public schools, retirement homes and other institutions owned by the city. (There can be multiple polling places in the same building if it has enough available rooms.) Bringing the notification with you to the polling place on election day helps tremendously, since it assigns each citizen a number in that polling place's voter list, so rather than searching for your address, the poll workers simply have to look up your number.
Identification is handled differently depending on the poll workers. Some require a photo ID, others consider the notification sufficient. Generally, though, if a poll worker is acquainted with a voter, no ID is required. Since the poll workers are often local residents themselves, this isn't really that uncommon.
Poll workers can either volunteer or be drafted. Unfortunately, once you have volunteered, you will typically be drafted for each subsequent election because of your experience. The only ways to get out are by reaching retirement age, moving to a completely different city, or dying.
That means poll workers will waste a Sunday every time there's an election. On the upside, you get a modest financial compensation (tax free). Also, usually there are enough poll workers assigned per polling place so they can organize themselves into taking shifts, meaning they only waste some hours on a Sunday.
Poll workers are usually assigned to the same polling place for each subsequent election (unless they request a reassignment). In my experience, the poll workers aren't that familiar with each other outside the elections themselves, and can actually have very different political views. That minimizes the risk of collusion to rig the election.
The election itself is public, though the specific process of casting a vote takes place in secret behind a privacy cover. German elections still use paper ballots that are marked with a pen or a non-erasable pencil by the voter. The ballot is pre-folded to ensure the voter can fold it together correctly and drop it in the ballot box without anyone being able to see the vote. (If the voter fails to fold the ballot correctly and the vote is visible, the ballot is put aside, destroyed, and the voter is handed a new ballot to ensure the secrecy of the ballot.)
Last edited:
There’s lots to like about the way Germany’s electoral system works. The weekend voting, for a start – here in the UK elections are always on Thursdays, and you can end up arriving at a polling station after work, have to stand outside queuing for hours, and not actually being able to vote. Giving citizens who live outside of Germany the right to vote by post in federal elections is A Very Good Thing as well.
Is this an exchange program for racist symbolism?
It means the same thing now, and won't get you arrested in germany.