Elections around the world
As Germany goes to the polls, DW takes a look at voting traditions around the world.
Voting on a grand scale
In India, 714 million people were eligible to vote in the country’s latest nationwide elections, in 2009. Voting took place in five phases, spread over a month across the country's states. Almost 1.4 million electronic voting machines were used. It was the largest democratic election in world history. Officials are preparing to do it all again, with the next elections due to be held in 2014.
Paper ballots reign
Most countries still conduct their elections using paper ballots, rather than electronic voting machines. This voting paper was used in Zimbabwe's 2013 presidential elections. There was national and international suspicion that the vote count was rigged, but it was declared legal by the country's constitutional court. President Robert Mugabe was sworn in for his seventh term in August 2013.
Inky fingers
In many countries, when voters go into the polling booths their fingers are marked with ink to prevent them from voting twice, as shown by these women in Malaysia during nationwide elections in May 2013. The chemical used is called silver nitrate and the stain takes a few days to disappear from skin and up to four weeks to vanish from fingernails.
Democracy online
If people can bank online, why not vote? In Estonia, Internet voting has been carried out during five elections since 2005. In the latest elections, more than 24 percent of voters used the online option. The system addresses security concerns by requiring users to download software and log onto a secure site with an encoded ID card. Voters can still choose to use paper ballots.
Dry election day
Mexico is one of many nations that bans the sale of alcohol before and during election day. The ban is intended to ensure citizens can carry out their voting with a minimum of fuss. The rules can vary depending on the decisions of state authorities. Generally countries that hold elections under a "dry law" allow exceptions to the rule, especially in popular tourist areas.
Voting despite danger
The latest elections for Iraq's provincial councils in April 2013, the first ballot since US troops left the country, were marred by a series of terror attacks. While Election Day itself was quiet, there were protests in the days before and after. More than 200 people were killed including 14 candidates. Voter turnout was low, with less than half those eligible casting their votes.
Identification, please
In the United States there are fears the red tape involved in voting causes discrimination. The Supreme Court ruled in June that states implementing tough voter identification laws weren't violating people's rights, toppling landmark civil-rights era legislation. Critics say requiring voters to show photo ID targets those who have difficulty getting it: African-Americans, the poor and the elderly.
Ballots and barbeques
In Australia, elections are synonymous with sausage sizzles. Schools and community halls are used as polling places, and they use the opportunity to fundraise by selling snacks to voters. It's become a national tradition, with more than 1,000 such events during the last election, on September 7. Voters don’t need a tasty incentive to head to the polls - it's compulsory for all over the age of 18.
Not just a right
In Brazil, as in Australia, voting is not just a civic duty, but a requirement. Worldwide, 22 nations have mandatory voting, which is enforced to varying degrees. In Brazil, voting is only optional for those aged over 70, illiterates and teenagers between 16 and 18. Military conscripts cannot vote. Here, voters queue at a polling station in a shantytown in Rio de Janiero for municipal elections.
Return to democracy
In nations which have suffered from political unrest, casting a vote can be seen as a step towards restoring stability. In Mali, a coup in March 2012 left the country without a legitimate government. But 18 months later, half of Mali's 7 million eligible voters took part in a peaceful two-stage presidential election, which was declared credible by international observers.
Campaigning ban
Like Russia, many countries practice election silence, where after weeks of campaigning, parties must remove all posters and other campaign materials and refrain from electioneering on voting day itself. The idea is to leave voters to choose without interference. However, some consider such rules to be outmoded in the age of social media.
Turning up to vote
Voter turnout is seen as a measure of citizen engagement in the political process. In Iran, more than 72 percent of the country's 50 million eligible voters cast their ballots in the June 2013 presidential elections. The turnout was so high that polling places had to stay open extra hours. Moderate cleric Hasan Rouhani won with 51 percent of the vote, avoiding the need for a run-off.
Universal suffrage
The first self-governing country to allow all adult women to vote in nationwide elections was New Zealand, in 1893. Since then, almost every other nation has adopted universal suffrage. The exceptions are the Vatican City, where only male cardinals can elect the pope, and Saudi Arabia, where women will have the right to vote in 2015. Here, a woman casts her vote at a polling place in Afghanistan.