Wahlkreisen

Wahlkreisen, singular Wahlkreis, are electoral districts used in German-speaking systems to elect representatives to national or regional legislatures. In Germany, they are most prominently used in Bundestag elections as the geographic units for direct representation.

In the federal system, each voter has two votes. The Erststimme (first vote) is cast for a candidate competing in the voter's Wahlkreis, and the candidate who receives the most votes wins a direct seat in the Bundestag for that district (Direktmandat). The Zweitstimme (second vote) is cast for a political party and determines the overall proportional distribution of seats among parties. The combination of direct mandates and the proportional allocation leads to a mixed electoral system, where additional seats may be added to balance representation (overhang and leveling seats).

Boundaries of Wahlkreisen are drawn to achieve roughly equal population sizes and to reflect geographic and administrative considerations. The delimitation is carried out by the federal electoral authorities, using data from official statistics and constitutional rules. There are 299 Wahlkreisen for Bundestag elections, with boundaries reviewed periodically to account for population changes and prevent significant malapportionment. Because the second vote shapes overall party seat shares, the total number of Bundestag seats can exceed 299, even though the number of Wahlkreisen remains fixed.

Outside Germany, the term Wahlkreis is used in other German-speaking countries to describe similar electoral districts, though the exact rules and number of districts vary by country.