1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites

Election Explainer

July 21, 2005

How does the German voting system work? How did this year's election differ from previous ones? Read DW-WORLD's election explainer for all the answers.

https://p.dw.com/p/6wgy
Image: AP

On the surface, the German electoral system is similar to that of most other Western countries. When Germans go to their polling stations -- often in schools or other public buildings on Sunday -- they select candidates for parliament from a multiple-choice ballot.

DW-WORLD's selection of background articles shows how the election system works, what past elections have shown and why this year's election was more complicated than previous ones.