Parties may submit nominations in the form of Land lists. Provided that the party obtains a sufficient number of second votes, the candidates on the Land list enter the Bundestag in the order laid down by the list.

If a party does not win seats for all the candidates on its list, the remaining candidates will become potential successors: they enter the Bundestag whenever deputies elected in a constituency or via Land list refuse to accept election or their seats become vacant before the end of the legislative term, for instance when they die. The decision as to who enters the Bundestag as list successor has to be taken by the respective Land returning officer. Candidates who have meanwhile resigned membership of the party in question or become members of another party may not move up.

If there are no more candidates on the list, the seat of the deputy who left will remain vacant.

If the person vacating the seat was elected constituency deputy for a political grouping standing for election or a party for which no Land list had been admitted, a by-election will have to be held in the constituency concerned to determine a successor.

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In contrast to Bundestag elections, there are substitute candidates in European elections.

Parties and other political associations submit nominations in the form of lists for one Land or lists for all Länder. The candidates on a list enter the European Parliament in the order laid down by the list.

A substitute candidate can be determined for each candidate. If deputies who ran for the respective Land list refuse election or leave the European Parliament before the end of the legislative term, for instance when they die, their seat will go to their substitute in the first place.

If a party or political association has not nominated a substitute candidate for the person who left, the list candidates who were not elected initially will move up according to their order on the list – this is also the case if the substitute candidate waives his or her right to the candidacy. Candidates and substitute candidates who have left the party or political association concerned or have become members of another party or political association are not considered when a successor is selected. Candidates who have been elected but refused election and deputies who have resigned their seat may not subsequently enter the European Parliament as substitute candidates.

The decision as to who enters the European Parliament as list successor has to be taken by the respective Land returning officer.

If there are no more candidates on the list, the seat of the deputy who left will remain vacant.

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