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Electoral Law for the Reichstag of the North German Confederation (May 31, 1869)

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§ 6. Each deputy is elected in a specific district.

For the purpose of voting, each district is divided into smaller wards that should, if possible, coincide with the local communities, provided no subdivision is required in more populous towns.

With the exception of exclaves, all constituencies and election districts have to be spatially demarcated and, if possible, rounded off.

A federal law will determine the boundaries of the constituencies. Until such time, the current constituencies will be retained, with the exception of those that are not currently geographically defined and rounded off into a spatially coherent ward. These have to be formed for the next elections in accordance with the stipulations of article number three.

§ 7. Anyone wishing to exercise the right to vote in a particular ward has to have his domicile in that community or, if a community is divided into several wards, in one of the latter at the time of the election.

Each voter may cast his vote in one place only.

§ 8. For the purpose of the elections, lists have to be compiled in each election district, in which are entered the eligible voters’ last names, first names, ages, occupations, and places of residence.

At least four weeks before election day, these lists have to be made available for everyone to consult, and this has to be made public with reference to the deadline for objections. Objections to the lists have to be lodged with the authorities responsible for publication within eight days of the lists being made available; the complaint has to be completed within the following fourteen days, after which time the lists are closed. Only those who have been included in the lists are eligible to vote.

When special new elections or re-votes take place within one year after the last general election, a new compilation and publication of election lists is not required.

§ 9. The act of voting as well as the determination of the election result is public.

The functions of supervisor, observer, and secretary for voting in the election districts, and those of the observers who determine the election result, are voluntary honorary offices and can only be carried out by persons who do not hold state office.

§ 10. The right to vote is exercised in person by means of secret election ballots, put in a ballot box without signature.

The ballots have to be made of white paper and must not have any external markings.

§ 11. The ballots have to be marked with the name of the candidate to whom the voter wishes to give his vote, outside of the polling station in handwriting or by means of duplication.

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