As part of an "electoral rebellion for global democracy", Germans give their vote to people abroad

Ahead of the general elections in Germany on 22 September, an initiative calls on German voters to cede their vote to citizens in other countries.

Activists of the campaign “Electoral Rebellion” argue that everywhere in the world people are affected by policies that were not made in their own country:

Politics does not stop at national borders but democracy does. In Spain, Greece or Portugal, for example, people are affected by the policies of the German government. Austerity measures are only one part of it. Nevertheless, these people have no say.

By calling on Germans "to give their votes" to people in other countries, Electoral Rebellion wants to set an example for "more and true democracy" and start a debate about how the current political system can be democratized at the global level.

How it works

On Facebook, German citizens post on the page of the "Electoral Rebellion" that they are willing to give their vote to someone in another country. People in other countries who want to join the action and wish to use a vote can comment on these posts, explaining who they are and how they are affected by German or global politics. Then they send a Facebook friend request to their "voting buddy." Before elections day on 22 September, the voter outside of Germany will tell the "voting buddy" where to mark the ballot paper. "It will only take you ten minutes to join in," the campaign's activists assure.

The campaign was launched by Egality, a group of German and international activists who advocate global democracy.

A similar initiative was launched ahead of the elections in Israel on 22 January this year (here's our report).