[3] Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the high number of delegates, the meeting took place in the Paul-Löbe-Haus [de], spread over several floors, unlike its usual location in the plenary hall of the Bundestag.

The German Basic Law, the Grundgesetz, mandates that presidential elections must be held no later than thirty days before the sitting President's term ends, unless the presidency falls vacant prematurely.

[5] On 19 March 2017 Frank-Walter Steinmeier of the Social Democratic Party, who was elected by the 16th Federal Convention on 12 February 2017, entered office and started his first five-year term as president.

During the 17th Federal Convention, virologists Sandra Ciesek and Christian Drosten are both among the members as is infectious disease specialist Marylyn Addo, all of whom came to broader public prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If the president-elect is a member of a legislature or a government at the federal or state level, they have to resign from that office before the start of their term.