In the municipal election on March 15, 2020, the municipal councils will be elected again in Bavaria. But what do these bodies actually do and how does the election work?
Local elections 2020 in Bavaria: how does local politics actually work?
- The local elections will take place in Bavaria on March 15, 2020 .
- Among other things, the Bavarian municipal councils are newly elected.
- You can find out here what these committees do and how you can take part in the election.
- We send you the most important stories from your Merkur.de * region once a week in our free, local newsletter. Register and receive all information about the election on Monday morning at 6 a.m.
The municipal council consists of the first mayor and the council members and represents the citizens of the municipality. In cities it is called city council , in markets it is market council .
The municipal council determines the principles according to which a municipality is managed and monitors the administration . The council members work on a voluntary basis. Incidentally, the first mayor is not a member of the municipal council.
How many people sit on the municipal council depends on the size of the municipality. Only in Nuremberg and Munich is the number of city council members legally established in Bavaria. Like elections to the municipal councils, every six years takes place in Bavaria.
The market town council of Garmisch-Partenkirchen meets (archive picture).
© picture-alliance / dpa / Andreas Gebert
Bavarian local politics: What are the tasks of the municipal council?
The municipal council or city council performs important functions for a municipality. The members of the local council, like members of parliament, are obliged to make decisions within the framework of the law and in their free belief - they are not bound by any mandate. The tasks of the local council include:
Local elections 2020 in Bavaria: What are the tasks of the mayor?
Local elections 2020 in Bavaria: What are the tasks of the mayor?
Municipal councils in Bavaria: How long have you been mayor in the Free State of Bavaria?
The first mayor in Bavaria is directly elected by the municipality. His term of office is six years . The election usually takes place at the same time as the municipal council election. There are exceptions, for example, when a mayor resigns or dies in office.
This is how the parish and district parliaments work in Bavaria
© Munich Mercury
Local election 2020 in Bavaria: How many votes do I have in the local council election?
They have as many votes to cast as there are members of the local council. The size of the municipal council or city council depends on the number of municipal residents. In Bavaria there are at least eight municipal councils for the smallest municipalities. Nuremberg has 70 city councils and the state capital Munich has the largest city council in Bavaria with 80 members.
You have a vote for the mayor election. If no candidate receives a majority, the two strongest applicants will be shortlisted on a second date.
Local elections in Bavaria: Can I present myself as a candidate for a local council?
You can submit election nominations to the election supervisor by January 23, 2020 (the most important dates for the Bavarian municipal election in our timetable). You can run if you meet the following conditions:
- You are at least 18 years old
- You are an EU citizen
- You have been in the constituency for at least three months
If you want to stand for election to the office of First Mayor , you must also be a German citizen .
In addition to the local council, the district council is also elected at another level in the 2020 municipal election in Bavaria. At the highest level of administration in the district, voters can also decide on the district administrator.
For election day, we recommend you download and print out our cheat sheet for the Bavaria 2020 local elections as a PDF file.
All information and dates for the 2020 local elections in Bavaria can be found here. Results of the 2020 local elections in Bavaria will be available on Sunday, March 15, 2020 from merkur.de. In advance you will find detailed reports on candidates, lists and all current developments.
* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.
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List of rubric lists: © picture-alliance / dpa / Andreas Gebert