As the German election of 2025 approaches, misinformation regarding voting procedures has proliferated online, particularly claims about the necessity of signing ballot papers. A viral claim suggested that voters for the AfD should sign their ballots to prevent election manipulation. However, this is false; any handwritten additions, including signatures, invalidate the ballot, as confirmed by the Federal Returning Officer. The regulation aims to protect voter anonymity and ensure the integrity of the election process, emphasizing the need for accurate information in electoral participation.
Signed ballot papers are invalid in Germany. Any form of handwritten addition, such as a signature or a comment, invalidates the ballot paper, even if the additonal actually intended to confirm the vote.
The Federal Returning Officer's website states: 'If a reference to the voter (for example by stating their name) is written on the ballot paper, it will be invalid because it jeopardizes the secrecy of the ballot.'
Disinformation about voting procedures has been rampant, particularly the false claim that voters must sign their ballots to avoid election manipulation; it is prohibited and renders votes invalid.
The emergence of viral false claims regarding ballot signatures, including those resembling AfD campaign materials, highlights the dangers of misinformation in electoral processes.
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