Direktmandat

Direktmandat is a political term for a seat in a legislative body that is won directly by a candidate in a geographic electoral district, as opposed to seats allocated from party lists. In German-speaking countries the term is most closely associated with Germany’s mixed-member proportional representation system, where voters typically cast two votes: Erststimme for a direct candidate in their constituency and Zweitstimme for a party list.

In Germany, the candidate who receives the most votes in a constituency wins the Direktmandat and becomes a member of the Bundestag. There is one Direktmandat per constituency, and Germany currently has a fixed number of constituencies (299) that elect direct seats. The overall size of the Bundestag can be larger than the number of constituencies because of mechanisms such as overhang mandates (Überhangmandate) and leveling or balancing mandates (Ausgleichmandate) intended to preserve proportionality between second-vote party shares and seat distribution.

Direktmandate influence the composition of the parliament by allowing individuals to enter via geographic districts, which can result in seats for parties with strong local support even if their second-vote share is moderate. Conversely, a party can obtain significant representation through party lists without winning many direct mandates. The interaction between direct mandates and list-based seats is a defining feature of the German electoral system and a frequent subject of political discussion, especially regarding the balance between local representation and proportional representation.

The concept is also used in other German-speaking countries to describe seats won directly in a constituency, though the specific rules and implications can vary by country.