Saxony's prisons are prepared for the early federal election on Sunday. According to the Ministry of Justice, 1,681 of all prisoners and inmates will be able to take part. They were eligible to vote on January 1 and will "presumably" still be eligible on election day itself.
"The right to vote in federal elections also applies to prisoners," said Justice Minister Constanze Geiert (CDU). As a rule, postal voting is used for this purpose. Engaging with political events and participating in democratic elections "can have a positive effect on the resocialization prognosis of prisoners who are entitled to vote".
Voting by post or live at the polling station
When voting by post, inmates can vote behind bars. They can submit the application together with a sealed election letter in the usual post or to a member of staff appointed by the prison management. They are instructed beforehand and made aware of possible delays in the post, said a ministry spokesperson. If the official ballot envelope is used, the correspondence is not monitored.
Voting in the relevant electoral district or, with a polling card, in another electoral district is also possible if the person concerned is granted exit or long-term exit. The proportion of postal voters in prison is not determined, nor are there separate polling stations - nor is there a separate evaluation of voter turnout.
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