§ 18 Wahlvorschlagsrecht, Beteiligungsanzeige

(1) Wahlvorschläge können von Parteien und nach Maßgabe des § 20 von Wahlberechtigten eingereicht werden.

(2) Parteien, die im Deutschen Bundestag oder einem Landtag seit deren letzter Wahl nicht auf Grund eigener Wahlvorschläge ununterbrochen mit mindestens fünf Abgeordneten vertreten waren, können als solche einen Wahlvorschlag nur einreichen, wenn sie spätestens am neunzigsten Tage vor der Wahl dem Bundeswahlleiter ihre Beteiligung an der Wahl schriftlich angezeigt haben und der Bundeswahlausschuß ihre Parteieigenschaft festgestellt hat. In der Anzeige ist anzugeben, unter welchem Namen sich die Partei an der Wahl beteiligen will. Die Anzeige muß von mindestens drei Mitgliedern des Bundesvorstandes, darunter dem Vorsitzenden oder seinem Stellvertreter, persönlich und handschriftlich unterzeichnet sein. Hat eine Partei keinen Bundesvorstand, so tritt der Vorstand der jeweils obersten Parteiorganisation an die Stelle des Bundesvorstandes. Die schriftliche Satzung und das schriftliche Programm der Partei sowie ein Nachweis über die satzungsgemäße Bestellung des Vorstandes sind der Anzeige beizufügen.

(3) Der Bundeswahlleiter hat die Anzeige nach Absatz 2 unverzüglich nach Eingang zu prüfen. Stellt er Mängel fest, so benachrichtigt er sofort den Vorstand und fordert ihn auf, behebbare Mängel zu beseitigen. Nach Ablauf der Anzeigefrist können nur noch Mängel an sich gültiger Anzeigen behoben werden. Eine gültige Anzeige liegt nicht vor, wenn

1. die Form oder Frist des Absatzes 2 nicht gewahrt ist,
2. die Parteibezeichnung fehlt,
3. die nach Absatz 2 erforderlichen gültigen Unterschriften und die der Anzeige beizufügenden Anlagen fehlen, es sei denn, diese Anlagen können infolge von Umständen, die die Partei nicht zu vertreten hat, nicht rechtzeitig vorgelegt werden,
4. die Vorstandsmitglieder mangelhaft bezeichnet sind, so daß ihre Person nicht feststeht.

(4) Der Bundeswahlausschuß stellt spätestens am zweiundsiebzigsten Tage vor der Wahl für alle Wahlorgane verbindlich fest,

1. welche Parteien im Deutschen Bundestag oder in einem Landtag seit deren letzter Wahl auf Grund eigener Wahlvorschläge ununterbrochen mit mindestens fünf Abgeordneten vertreten waren,
2. welche Vereinigungen, die nach Absatz 2 ihre Beteiligung angezeigt haben, für die Wahl als Parteien anzuerkennen sind. Für die Ablehnung der Anerkennung als Partei für die Wahl ist Zweidrittelmehrheit erforderlich.

(5) Eine Partei kann in jedem Wahlkreis nur einen Kreiswahlvorschlag und in jedem Land nur eine Landesliste einreichen.

Article 18 Rights governing the lists of candidates, announces participation

(1) The lists of candidates can be presented by parties and, in accordance with article 20 of this law, by registered voters.

(2) The parties which, at the Bundestag or in a regional diet, since the last election for the renewal of the Bundestag or of a regional diet, were not represented in an uninterrupted way on the basis of proper lists of candidates cannot, as such, present a list of candidates that if they have, at the latest the forty-seventh day preceding the day of the election, informed in writing the president of the federal electoral Commission of their participation in the election and if the federal electoral Commission noted their legality. It must be indicated in the advertisement of participation under which name the party intends to take part in the elections. The advertisement must be signed of at least three members of the Management committee, for of which the president or his substitute. If a party does not have a Management committee, the direction of the highest organization of party intervenes in the place of the aforesaid committee. The written statutory provisions and programs it writes party just as a justification of the nomination in conformity with the statutes of the Management committee must be joined to the advertisement of participation.

(3) The president of the federal electoral Commission is held, in accordance with subparagraph 2, to immediately check the advertisement of participation after reception. If it notes defects, it must inform the Management committee forthwith and invite it of it to cure it where that is possible. The time of advertisement once exceeded, only the defects of the valid advertisements can be removed. An advertisement is not valid when

1. the form or the time according to subparagraph 2 is not respected,
2. the denomination of the party misses,
3. the signatures in due form necessary in accordance with subparagraph 2 and the documents to be joined to the advertisement are missing, unless these documents, in consequence of circumstances beyond the control of the party, cannot be presented on time,
4. the members of the Management committee are designated in a vague way not allowing to identify them.

(4) The federal electoral Commission notes in a constraining way for all the electoral bodies, at the latest it sixty-twelfth day preceding the day by the election,

1. which parties were represented in an uninterrupted way by at least five deputies on the basis of proper lists of candidates at the Bundestag or in a regional diet since the last election of the Bundestag or of this regional diet,
2. which groupings, which made known their participation in the election in accordance with subparagraph 2, are recognized as parties for the election. A majority of two thirds is necessary for the refusal of the recognition as a party.

(5) Each party can present only one list of candidates of district in each electoral district and that only one list of Land in each Land.

§ 18 Election right to nominate, Participation display

(1) Election suggestions can be submitted by parties and in accordance with condition § 20 by voters.

(2) Parties, which were not represented with at least five delegates continuously in the German Bundestag or a federal state parliament since their last election due to own election suggestions, can submit a election suggestion as such only if they in writing displayed their participation in the election to the federal returning officer at the latest on the neunzigsten day before the election and the federal election commitee determined their party characteristic. In the display is to be indicated, under which name the party wants to take part in the election. The display must be by at least three members of the Federal Administration, among them the chairman or its deputy, personal and handwritten signatory. If a party does not have a Federal Administration, then the executive committee of the highest in each case party organization steps to the place of the Federal Administration. The written statute and the written program of the party as well as a proof of the statutory order of the executive committe e are to be attached to the display.

(3) The federal returning officer has to check the display immediately in accordance with paragraph 2 after receipt. If it determines lack, then it informs the executive committee immediately and requests it to eliminate remediable lack. At flow of the display term lack can actually be only recovered valid displays. A valid display is not present, when

1. the form or period of the paragraph 2 is not protected,
2. the party designation is missing,
3. the valid signatures those necessary in accordance with paragraph 2 and the display which can be attached systems are missing, unless these documents can be not submitted in time due to circumstances, which the party has not to represent.
4. the members of the board are unsatisfactorily defined, so that their person is not certain.

(4) The federal election commitee determines at the latest on the zweiundsiebzigsten day before the election obligatorily on all election organs,

1. which parties were represented with at least five delegates continuously in the German Bundestag or in a federal state parliament since their last election due to own election suggestions,
2. which unions, which displayed their participation in accordance with paragraph 2, are to be recognized election for which as parties. For the refusal of the acknowledgment as a party for the election zweidrittelmehrheit is necessary.

(5) A party can submit one set election suggestion in each constituency only and in each country only one national list.