diff --git a/protokoll/fsrprotokoll.cls b/protokoll/fsrprotokoll.cls
index 51e9c01..9c2fe01 100644
--- a/protokoll/fsrprotokoll.cls
+++ b/protokoll/fsrprotokoll.cls
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 % vim: ft=tex
-\ProvidesClass{fsrprotokoll}[2018/03/05 Klasse fuer FSR Protokolle v0.2]
+\ProvidesClass{fsrprotokoll}[2018/03/05 Klasse fuer FSR Protokolle v0.2.1]
 \LoadClass{scrartcl}
 
 \RequirePackage[utf8]{inputenc}
@@ -138,8 +138,13 @@
     \immediate\write\exportdata{-}
   \begin{lrbox}{\mybox}\begin{minipage}{.985\textwidth}
   \newcommand*{\voteNumber}[1]{%
-    \immediate\write\exportdata{  decision_id: "\the\year/##1"}%
-    \textbf{\the\year\,/\,##1:}\\%
+    %see section VOTENUMBER at the end
+    \ifthenelse{\equal{##1}{}}{}{% else (argument is not empty)
+        \setcounter{votenumber}{##1}%
+    }%
+    \immediate\write\exportdata{  decision_id: "\the\year/\thevotenumber"}%
+    \textbf{\the\year\,/\,\thevotenumber:}\\%
+    \stepcounter{votenumber}%
   }%
   \newcommand*{\voteMoney}[1]{%
     \ifthenelse{\equal{##1}{}} {%
@@ -198,8 +203,13 @@
     \immediate\write\exportdata{-}
   \begin{lrbox}{\mybox}\begin{minipage}{.985\textwidth}
   \newcommand*{\voteNumber}[1]{%
-    \immediate\write\exportdata{  decision_id: "\the\year/##1"}%
-    \textbf{\the\year\,/\,##1:}\\%
+    %see section VOTENUMBER at the end
+    \ifthenelse{\equal{##1}{}}{}{% else (argument is not empty)
+        \setcounter{votenumber}{##1}%
+    }%
+    \immediate\write\exportdata{  decision_id: "\the\year/\thevotenumber"}%
+    \textbf{\the\year\,/\,\thevotenumber:}\\%
+    \stepcounter{votenumber}%
   }%
   \newcommand*{\voteMoney}[1]{%
     \ifthenelse{\equal{##1}{}} {%
@@ -292,7 +302,14 @@
   \noindent\makebox[6.5cm][l]{Sitzungsleitung} \hfill \noindent\makebox[6.5cm][l]{Protokoll}
 }
 
+%see section VOTENUMBER at the end
+\newcommand*{\initVoteNumber}[1] {
+    \setcounter{votenumber}{#1}
+}
+
 \AtBeginDocument{%
+  %see section VOTENUMBER at the end
+  \newcounter{votenumber}
   \immediate\newwrite\exportdata%
   \immediate\openout\exportdata=tmp.txt\relax
 }
@@ -317,3 +334,12 @@
 \newtoks\guests
 \endinput
 
+%documentation on VOTENUMBERS (version 0.2 -> 0.2.1, Author: Anton Obersteiner)
+%votes are numbered within one year. use \initVoteCount{num} at the beginning 
+%of your protocol to set this counter to num, otherwise the counter starts at 0.
+%each vote is automatically numbered 20YY / <votenumber> and then 
+%increments the counter *if you call \voteNumber{} in your vote environment*.
+%if you call votenumber with an argument: \voteNumber{num}, the counter is reset to that value
+%and increments from there in the votes after.
+%for backwards compatibility, the argument is not optional (would require \voteNumber[] syntax),
+%but the argument to the {} is ignored if empty.