Voters will go to the polls across southern Germany on Sunday, March 8th. On that date, state elections are to be held in Baden-Württemberg, while in Bavaria municipal elections will be held in cities across the Free state.
In Baden-Württemberg, where the current Green party prime minister is stepping down, the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is hoping to take the reins. The results of this election will be seen as something of an omen for the CDU’s ambitions to beat out the far-right and other competitors at further state elections to come later in the year.
Meanwhile, municipal elections across Bavaria will have direct impacts on residents.
From newly naturalised German citizens in Baden-Württemberg to EU nationals registered in Bavaria, here’s a look at who can vote in the elections this week.
Who can vote in Baden-Württemberg’s state elections?
The rules around who can vote in state elections are similar to those for the country’s national Bundestag elections, but there are minor exceptions.
To vote in both state or federal elections in Germany, you need to be a German national, so foreigners are generally excluded from voting unless they have naturalised as German. Dual-citizens with German nationality, however, can of course cast a ballot.
As opposed to national elections, which require voters to be at least 18 years old, in the state of Baden-Württemberg voters must be at least 16 years old on election day to participate.
Additionally you must have resided in Baden-Württemberg (and been registered there) for at least three months prior to the election.
If you are not sure who to vote for, one useful place to start is the Wahl-O-Mat, which gives you an idea about which parties align with your values based on a few quick questions.
READ ALSO: Wahl-o-Mat - The online tool that can help you pick a party in the German elections
Who can vote in Bavaria’s municipal elections?
In addition to German citizens, citizens of other EU countries can vote in regional and municipal elections in Germany, as long as they have been registered in their constituency for at least three months.
Here voters must be 18 or older on the day of the election.
By the way, anyone entitled to vote is generally also eligible to run for office at the municipal level, should they be interested.
If you have moved to Bavaria, either from elsewhere in Germany or from another EU country, you should have been added to the voter registration list automatically when you registered your address.
If you haven’t voted in a municipal election in Germany previously, you’d be advised to do a bit of research on how the process works before turning up at a voting booth.
If you do vote, either at a voting booth or with a mail-in ballot from home, you can expect to receive several ballots: one for the election of mayor, one for the election of city council members, and possibly additional ballots for district council members or district councillors or, in Munich, for the district committee.
This article by BR24 explains the process in more detail. Additionally you can find more information about your local election, or double check the voters’ register at this official portal.
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