Germany’s top court rules the exclusion of disabled individuals under court-ordered care from voting in federal elections as unconstitutional
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Germany’s top court ruled on Thursday that it was unconstitutional to exclude disabled invididuals under court-ordered care from voting in federal elections. The Federal Consitutitional Court in Karlsruhe ruled that the country’s electoral law was discriminatory and violated the right to democratic choice.
Several disabled individuals brought the suit after being barred from voting in the 2013 federal election. Court data showed this affected some 82,220 people who live with full-time assistance.
The assistance organization “Lebenshilfe” welcomed the ruling. Chairperson and Social Democrat (SPD) lawmaker Ulla Schmidt said that “finally, all adult German citizens are allowed to vote.” “This is a great achievement for people with disabilities and for our democracy.”
Both Lebenshilfe and the Caritas charity’s Disabled Aid and Psychiatry (CBP) program had supported the plaintiffs in the case, but cautioned that Thursday’s ruling was just one step and that the ruling coalition must make broader inclusion a priority.
“Now the coalition must act to ensure that the people concerned can vote in European elections in May,” said CBP chair Johannes Magin.
In their coalition agreement, the SPD and Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) had promised to enshrine disabled inclusion in the right to vote. Since then, however, the SPD has accused the CDU leadership of blocking compromises agreed upon by both sides.
