GermanyAufgabe 119 · Politics in a democracy
Elections in Germany are free. What does this mean?
In the exam (German)
Wahlen in Deutschland sind frei. Was bedeutet das?
- aNo convicted criminal offender is allowed to vote.Alle verurteilten Straftäterinnen/Straftäter dürfen nicht wählen.
- bIf I want to go and vote, my employer must give me time off.Wenn ich wählen gehen möchte, muss meine Arbeitgeberin/mein Arbeitgeber mir frei geben.
- cEveryone can decide without coercion whether to vote and whom to vote for.Jede Person kann ohne Zwang entscheiden, ob sie wählen möchte und wen sie wählen möchte.Correct answer
- dI can freely decide where I want to go and vote.Ich kann frei entscheiden, wo ich wählen gehen möchte.
Why?
“Free” means that nobody may put pressure on you – neither on whether you vote, nor on whom you vote for. This is in Article 38 of the Basic Law (Grundgesetz). It has nothing to do with your employer, and the polling station is normally fixed too: it is written on your polling card (Wahlbenachrichtigung).
Translated with AI. In the exam the question is in German, as shown above.
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Take a free mock examAufgabe 120
The electoral system in Germany is …Correct answer:a majority and proportional voting system (Mehrheits- und Verhältniswahlrecht).
Das Wahlsystem in Deutschland ist ein … — Mehrheits- und Verhältniswahlrecht.
Aufgabe 121
A party wants to get into the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag). But it must have a minimum share of the votes. This is called the …Correct answer:5% threshold (5%-Hürde).
Eine Partei möchte in den Deutschen Bundestag. Sie muss aber einen Mindestanteil an Wählerstimmen haben. Das heißt … — 5%-Hürde.
Aufgabe 122
Which principle do elections in Germany follow? Elections in Germany are …Correct answer:free, equal, secret.
Welchem Grundsatz unterliegen Wahlen in Deutschland? Wahlen in Deutschland sind … — frei, gleich, geheim.
Aufgabe 123
What is the “5% threshold” (5%-Hürde) in Germany?Correct answer:the minimum share of the votes needed to get into parliament
Was ist in Deutschland die "5%-Hürde"? — Mindestanteil an Wählerstimmen, um ins Parlament zu kommen
Source
Questions and options: Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), Gesamtfragenkatalog for the “Leben in Deutschland” test and the Einbürgerungstest, as of 07.05.2025 (Annex 1 to the Einbürgerungstestverordnung). The English translation and the explanations are ours, written with AI; in the exam the questions are asked in German. The coats of arms, flags and photos come from Wikimedia Commons, the maps and ballot papers are drawn by us – authors and licences are listed under Image credits. This is not a government service.
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