§ 35 Stimmabgabe mit Wahlgeräten

(1) Zur Erleichterung der Abgabe und Zählung der Stimmen können anstelle von Stimmzetteln, Wahlumschlägen und Wahlurnen Wahlgeräte benutzt werden.

(2) Wahlgeräte im Sinne von Absatz 1 müssen die Geheimhaltung der Stimmabgabe gewährleisten. Ihre Bauart muß für die Verwendung bei Wahlen zum Deutschen Bundestag amtlich für einzelne Wahlen oder allgemein zugelassen sein. Über die Zulassung entscheidet das Bundesministerium des Innern auf Antrag des Herstellers des Wahlgerätes. Die Verwendung eines amtlich zugelassenen Wahlgerätes bedarf der Genehmigung durch das Bundesministerium des Innern. Die Genehmigung kann für einzelne Wahlen oder allgemein ausgesprochen werden.

(3) Das Bundesministerium des Innern wird ermächtigt, durch Rechtsverordnung, die nicht der Zustimmung des Bundesrates bedarf, nähere Bestimmungen zu erlassen über

1. die Voraussetzungen für die amtliche Zulassung der Bauart von Wahlgeräten sowie für die Rücknahme und den Widerruf der Zulassung,
2. das Verfahren für die amtliche Zulassung der Bauart,
3. das Verfahren für die Prüfung eines Wahlgerätes auf die der amtlich zugelassenen Bauart entsprechende Ausführung,
4. die öffentliche Erprobung eines Wahlgerätes vor seiner Verwendung,
5. das Verfahren für die amtliche Genehmigung der Verwendung sowie für die Rücknahme und den Widerruf der Genehmigung,
6. die durch die Verwendung von Wahlgeräten bedingten Besonderheiten im Zusammenhang mit der Wahl.

(4) Für die Betätigung eines Wahlgerätes gilt § 33 Abs. 1 Satz 1 und Abs. 2 entsprechend.

Article 35 Vote by means of instruments of vote

(1) To facilitate the vote and the examination, it is allowed, instead of ballot box and electoral envelope, ballot papers, to use instruments of vote.

(2) The instruments of vote within the meaning of subparagraph 1 above must guarantee the backup of the secrecy of vote. To be able to be used at the time of legislative elections, their design must be officially allowed for certain elections or generally. The federal Ministry of the Interior decides, at the request of the manufacturer of the instrument of vote, of the admission of this last. The use of an instrument of officially allowed vote must be authorized by the federal Ministry of the Interior. The authorization can be granted for certain elections or generally.

(3) The federal Ministry of the Interior is authorized by ordinance which should not be approved by Bundesrat, to issue provisions concerning

1. conditions governing the official admission of the design of instruments of vote, as well as the withdrawal and the revocation of the admission,
2. procedure to be followed for the official admission of the design,
3. procedure to be followed to make sure that an instrument of vote is identical, in its design, with the model which was officially admitted,
4. the public test of an instrument of vote, before its use,
5. procedure to be followed for the official admission of the use, like for the withdrawal and the revocation of the authorization,
6. characteristics related to the use of instruments of vote in correlation with the election.

(4) The first sentence of subparagraph 1 and subparagraph 2 of Article 33 above are valid by analogy for the actuation of an instrument of vote.

§ 35 Casting of votes with election devices

(1) For the relief of the delivery and counting of the voices election devices can be used in place of voting cards, election envelopes and wahlurnen.

(2) Election devices in the sense of paragraph 1 must ensure the secrecy of the casting of votes. Their design must be for the use with elections to the German Bundestag officially for individual elections or generally certified. On the permission the Federal Ministry of the Interior decides upon the request of the manufacturer of the election device. The use of an officially certified election device requires permission by the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Permission can be expressed for individual elections or generally.

(3) The Federal Ministry of the Interior is authorized to issue closer regulations by statutory order, which does not require the agreement of the Upper House of Parliament, over

1. the prerequisites for the official permission of the design of election devices as well as for the cancelling and the revocation of the permission,
2. the procedure for the official permission of the design,
3. the procedure for the check of a election device on the officially certified design appropriate execution,
4. the public testing of a election device before its use,
5. the procedure for the official permission of the use as well as for the cancelling and the revocation of permission,
6. the special features due to the use of election devices in connection with the election.

(4) To the operation of a election device applies § 33 exp. 1 record 1 and exp. 2 accordingly.