Reduced time allocation for this round of ballot correspondence
In the 2021 federal election, over 60% of voters in Bavaria opted for postal voting, and in the 2023 state election, this rate dropped slightly to around 55%. The upcoming federal election in 2025 is expected to follow a similar trend, although the exact postal voting rate is yet to be predicted.
The reason for a potentially shorter postal voting deadline in the upcoming election is that the candidates will not be finalized until January 30th, leaving insufficient time for printing ballot papers. As a result, the election will have a shorter deadline for postal voting, around two weeks instead of the usual four to five weeks.
Voters are advised not to leave postal voting documents lying around for too long due to the shorter deadline. Postal voting documents in Bavaria will be sent out from February 10th and should arrive at voters' homes by mid-February.
The group of people aged 45 to 65 has increased from 30.9% (1990) to 34.3% in the upcoming election. Conversely, the group of 25 to 45-year-olds has significantly shrunk from 36.5% (1990) to 28.5% in the upcoming election. The proportion of young voters between 18 and 25 years old has decreased from almost 13% in 1990 to around 8.5% in the upcoming election.
There are 362,000 first-time voters in Bavaria for the upcoming election. The chief electoral officer does not expect the proportion of postal voters to increase significantly in the upcoming federal election.
Voting at the polling station is the constitutional principle for the election, and postal voting is an alternative for those who cannot make it to the polling station on election day. It is possible to vote by post directly at the municipality in Bavaria, and around 30% of postal voters have done so in the past.
Since Bavaria follows federal election law, the deadline for applying for a postal vote is generally set by the state and electoral officials but often closes about 5-7 days before the election date to allow for postal delivery and counting. To know the precise deadline for postal vote application in Bavaria for the 2025 federal election, it is recommended to consult official Bavarian election authorities or the state's electoral office website closer to the election date.
[1] German Federal Election Law [2] Bavarian State Election Law [3] Bavarian Electoral Office [4] Federal Returning Officer [5] German Federal Election Procedure
- Given the drop in postal voting rates seen in the 2023 state election compared to the 2021 federal election, the policy-and-legislation concerning the deadline for postal voting in the upcoming federal election is expected to follow a similar trend, possibly shortening the window to around two weeks instead of the usual four to five weeks.
- As the 2025 federal election approaches, it is important for voters to stay informed about the legislation related to postal voting, such as the deadline for applying for a postal vote, which can be found on the official Bavarian election authorities or the Bavarian Electoral Office website, especially given the shorter postal voting deadline due to the late finalization of candidates.
