Early voting

The pre-selection in elections or early voting in referenda is the ability for election and voters, even before the actual voting and / or election day her voice to post at the polling station or by letter.

Germany

To ensure the secrecy of voting and personal choice was considered a personal choice at the polling station as indispensable. However, it is not possible for anyone to be there in person on election day at the polling station on site. With the increasing mobility of citizens, the restriction to vote on election day at the polling station was increasingly in conflict with the principle of the general election law. Therefore, after the Second World War, the introduction of postal voting has been intensively discussed and introduced for parliamentary elections in 1957.

Hesse

This choice method, as pre-selection, was in the state elections in Hesse in 1962 and 1966 in use. In Hesse, the ruling SPD rejected absentee ballot. The electoral law of 12 July 1962, much was a " pre-selection " was introduced. 7 days before the election, the voters were in their own constituency " advance polling district " select Ballot

Before the next election in 1966 there was a referendum on the introduction of postal voting, but which failed. In response to this petition, the country's election law was changed and now allows a 21- day time preselection. The voting age was reduced at the state election in Hesse in 1970 to 18 years by national referendum on 8 March 1970. This referendum took place in Hesse, the introduction of postal voting. The possibility of pre-selection was accounted for it.

Berlin

In Berlin, it is possible since the introduction of popular legislation in 2006 to give his vote in the weeks before the referendum by early voting at the public offices.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, early voting is the rule - see also:

• Postal vote
• Ballot

Commons

Swell

• Jacob Schissler: Principles of political and economic development in Hesse in 1945, Chapter: The optional statutory provisions; in: Dirk Berg- castle, and Thomas Noetzel: Parties and elections in Hesse 1946-1994, page 57-60

• Choice in Germany
• Hessischer Landtag
• Voting in referenda