On February 12, the elections to the House of Representatives will be repeated in Berlin. Are you wondering what the first and second votes stand for and how to fill out the ballot correctly? Find out here how it is structured, where to place the cross and why there is a hole in the ballot paper at the top right.

For the first time in the history of the Federal Republic, an election must be repeated. The special thing about this is that exactly the same candidates and parties are running as in September 2021, when the election was declared invalid.

The election to the House of Representatives in Berlin is divided into 78 constituencies with several electoral districts, in which the polling stations are located. Eligible voters have a first and a second vote for this election.

How to fill out the ballot correctly? We explain it to you here:

With the first vote, Berliners elect the candidate in their constituency. A candidate is elected according to the principle of personal election if he or she has received the most votes.

The second vote is cast for the party list. Here the proportional representation decides on the shares of the seats in the House of Representatives. This means that a party is allocated seats according to the agreed ratio. A total of 34 parties are running for the elections to the House of Representatives in Berlin.

In the Berlin election 2023, 78 constituencies are permitted:

Read here why the election must be repeated:

Constitutional Court intervened – Why is the election to the Berlin House of Representatives being repeated?

The hole in the top right corner of the ballot paper does not invalidate a vote. This rumor circulated on the Internet during the last federal election, but it is false. Blind and partially sighted voters need it for orientation. This allows them to feel where the top of the ballot is and know where to place the voting template.

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