Anyone who is not at home, is ill or is unable to go to their polling station for other reasons during the state election on 8 March 2026 can apply for postal voting documents. The relevant local authorities are currently sending out election notifications by post. Anyone who does not receive one should enquire in good time before the election. In the 2021 state election, over 50 per cent of votes were cast by post.
Applying for a postal vote
The form for applying for a postal vote can be found on the back of the election notification. It can be handed in at the town hall or sent there by post. The form also contains a QR code that can be used to submit the application digitally. This can also be done online on the municipality’s website. In addition, you can now request the documents for postal voting by emailing the relevant town hall. In addition to your name and full address, you must also provide the date of issue of your identity card or passport. Applications can be submitted until 3 p.m. on Friday, 6 March.
Please note the deadlines
As the city of Tübingen states in a notice, when returning postal voting documents, please ensure that they are posted in a Deutsche Post letterbox early enough to allow for the increased volume of mail. The completed ballot paper must be received by the relevant local authority by 6 p.m. on election day, i.e. 8 March, at the latest.
Collecting postal voting documents in person
If you still need postal voting documents a few days before the election, the Tübingen city administration recommends that you apply for the documents in person at the town hall on the market square or at an administrative office and take them with you immediately. This is the only way to ensure that the documents are available in time. No prior online application is necessary to collect the postal voting documents in person. If you wish, you can also vote directly on site and hand in the documents immediately, according to the announcement.
Identification is required to apply. If you wish to collect postal voting documents for third parties, you will need a power of attorney. This is pre-printed on the back of the election notification.
Further information:
www.rottenburg.de/hinweis+zur+beantragung+von+briefwahlunterlagen
www.moessingen.de/de/Stadt-Buerger/Aktuelles
www.tuenews.de/landtagswahl-in-baden-wuerttemberg/
www.swr.de/swraktuell/wahlen/landtagswahl/briefwahl-landtagswahl
By Bernhard Kirschner
tun26012704