The reason is post-war Germany’s election system, which mixes the “winner-takes-all” approach of Britain and the United States with the proportional representation system that allows for more small parties. The first vote is meant to ensure that each of Germany’s 299 districts is represented in the Bundestag. A complication arises when the direct and party votes are out of balance because voters “split” their ballot. When a party earns more direct seats than it is entitled to through its share of the party vote, it is granted the extra seats anyway. Parties which score below five percent of the second vote stay out of parliament altogether.

Source: The Local September 24, 2021 08:03 UTC