The Wahl-O-Mat for the Bundestag election 2025 is now available as a web app. In this election, 29 parties are competing with country lists, although not all parties can be selected throughout the federal government. This time, all 29 parties will be taken into account in the Wahl-O-Mat because they have all answered the corresponding theses in advance. Over 59 million people will participate in the Bundestag election, including over 2.3 million first-time voters.
The Federal Center for Political Education is responsible for the Wahl-O-Mat, a tool designed to help voters make informed decisions when choosing a party. The Wahl-O-Mat is not an election recommendation, but rather an information offer to help voters understand elections and politics. The tool presents 38 theses to users, who can respond with “yes”, “no”, or “neutral” buttons. After answering the theses, users will learn which parties best match their views.
Some examples of theses presented in the Wahl-O-Mat include: the expansion of renewable energies should be financially funded by the state, a general speed limit should apply on all highways, asylum seekers who have traveled through another EU state should be rejected at the German borders, all employees should be able to retire after 40 years without discounts, and all citizens should be required to have health insurance. These theses were selected by the Federal Center for Political Education, experts from science, media, and education, and young voters. The parties were sent 80 theses in advance and had to justify their positions within a 500-character limit.
When using the Wahl-O-Mat, no personal data is saved, and there are no trackers on the website. The Federal Center for Political Education also offers a short profile of all parties participating in the federal election 2025 on their website, including information in simple language. This website explains how the Bundestag election will work, including the difference between the first vote and the second vote, the election process itself, and how the distribution of seats in the Bundestag is determined after the election.