Postal voting in Rhineland-Palatinate: Forgot your election letter? So you can hand it in at the weekend

What can you do if you've waited too long to vote by post?

As long as you already have the documents, you can vote until Sunday.

Update from March 13, 2021:

If you find out at the weekend that the postal voting documents are still at home, that is not a problem.

You can still cast your votes for the state election by postal vote.

Prepare the election letter as explained in the enclosed instructions.

You can then put the documents in the mailbox yourself at the electoral office.

The address is already printed on the envelope.

It is important to know that the mailbox is emptied at 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Only election letters that end up in it beforehand will be counted for the state election.

Postal voting in Rhineland-Palatinate: Final deadline for application and return

Update from March 12, 2021:

The final deadline for applying for a voting slip ends on March 12 at 6 p.m.

At this point you should definitely plan to appear at the electoral office yourself.

Instead of postal voting by post, you can fill out your voting slip there and hand it in again straight away.

This way you are sure that your ballot will be counted.

If it were sent by post, it would not be certain that the election letter would be delivered on the following Saturday.

The fact that no mail arrives on Sunday also applies to election letters.

Alternatively, you can of course do without the application for postal voting and fill out the ballot for the state election in Rhineland-Palatinate at the polling station on Sunday.

Postal voting in Rhineland-Palatinate: This is how you can vote in the state election by post

First report from February 26, 2021:

Mainz - When the state election 2021 takes place in Rhineland-Palatinate on March 14th, nobody has to leave their house.

All voters can make their crosses beforehand if they want to.

In principle, anyone entitled to vote can apply for postal voting.

This is purely a matter of form and

does not require any justification

.

But it is important that you meet all deadlines.

Due to the ongoing corona pandemic, it is to be expected that postal votes will also be used somewhat more frequently in the RLP state elections than in previous years.

How does the application for postal voting work in Rhineland-Palatinate?

The postal vote for the state elections in Rhineland-Palatinate is organized at the municipal level.

Voters therefore always find the responsible electoral office in their own municipality.

Where to turn will explain, among other things, the voting notification sent to all eligible voters.

You will also find the application for a voting slip on your voting notification.

This is basically nothing more than a request for a postal vote.

However, you can also submit the application directly to the electoral office and then vote at the office - without a letter.

If you return the completed form from the voting notification, you will receive your postal voting documents in the mail.

However, a

written application

without this form

is also valid

.

Once you have ticked the ballot for the RLP state election and followed all the instructions in the documents, send your voting letter back by post.

The election letter is postage-free and already provided with the correct address.

What are the deadlines for postal votes in the 2021 state elections in Rhineland-Palatinate?

In

Rhineland-Palatinate, the

last deadline for applications for postal voting

is set

at 6 p.m. on March 12th

.

That is the Friday immediately before election Sunday.

If you apply for the ballot so late, you should fill out the ballot at the electoral office, as it can otherwise be difficult to send it by post.

Only election letters will be counted that are

in the mailbox on March 14th by 6:00 pm

.

The last delivery of the post takes place on Saturday.

If you still have the election letter at home, you can only throw it in at the address given in the municipality.

Does postal voting differ from normal voting?

When it comes to how to make the crosses, everything is like the polling station.

The ballot papers look the same and are counted exactly the same at the end.

For the voters, the main question is: Do I want to make my final voting decision on March 14th or do I know early enough to cast my vote by postal vote?

If you are unsure which party fits your own ideas, you will find help at Wahl-O-Mat Rheinland-Pfalz 2021.

(rm)