Information on the local elections in Jena

Around 82,600 people aged 16 and over are being called to vote in the local elections in Jena on Sunday. The mayor, the city council, the district councils and the district mayors will be elected. The 97 polling stations will open at 8 am and close at 6 pm. The first results of the mayoral election in the smaller districts are expected to be available from 6.30 pm. These will be published on the website https://wahlen.jena.de/ and updated regularly throughout the evening. A public press conference with all mayoral candidates will take place in the historic town hall from 8 pm. This can be followed in a live stream on JenaTV and also via the municipal website.

More than 1,240 men and women are supporting the election as volunteers. It is particularly pleasing for the city of Jena that so many young people are among the volunteers: Just under a third of the election helpers are under 25, and just under 50 of them are between the ages of 16 and 18.

Great interest in postal voting

As of Wednesday evening, almost 20,000 people had applied for postal voting documents. Depending on how high the turnout will be, this indicates a higher proportion of postal votes than five years ago, when just under a third voted by post. "A big thank you at this point to our colleagues in the Citizens' Services department and others from the entire city administration who worked hard to deliver the documents as quickly as possible," said Bettenhäuser.

However, fewer than 7,000 election letters have been returned so far. As the ballot letters must be delivered by post by Saturday at the latest, it is requested that they be returned by Friday at the latest. Alternatively, election letters can be dropped into the city's deadline letterbox in Gerbergasse on Saturday or handed in at the election center, Bürgerdienste, Engelplatz 1, by 6 p.m. on election Sunday. The postal polling station (Klostergasse, between the Citizens' Service and the Ernst Abbe Library) will be open until 6.00 pm on Friday.

What is needed to vote?

On election day, you must bring your polling card and an official identity card or passport. EU citizens must bring a valid identity card. The polling cards have been sent by post by May 5. Anyone who has misplaced their polling card or has not received it can still vote at the polling station. You must bring your official ID or passport with you. The polling station, the polling district and the polling station for the individual voter are indicated on the polling card. Eligible voters can only vote in the polling station of the polling district in which they are entered on the electoral roll. You can also find out which polling station is the right one on the website https://wahlen.jena.de/ (under: Postal voting - "Where is my polling station?").

How does voting work?

Lord Mayor:

Seven men and one woman are standing for election. Every eligible voter has one vote. Voting is based on the principle of majority voting: The person who receives more than half of the valid votes cast is elected. If no one receives a majority of votes in the first round, a run-off election will take place on June 9. The two candidates who received the most votes in the first election will then stand for election. If two candidates receive the same number of votes, a lot will be drawn to decide who takes part in the run-off election. In the run-off election, the candidate with the most valid votes cast is elected.

City Council:

Ten lists (parties or voter associations) can be found on the ballot paper, each with a different number of candidates. Eligible voters can cast up to three votes. There are various options for this. You can vote for an entire list, in which case the first three candidates on the list automatically receive one vote each. If you vote for a list, you can remove one of the first three candidates - the fourth candidate on the list then moves up. Three votes can be awarded to a single candidate by placing three crosses directly next to their name. However, it is also possible to give three different candidates one vote each. These can also come from different lists. The election is also valid if fewer than three votes are cast.

A sample ballot paper can be found HERE.

District councils and district mayors:

The election of local district mayors follows the same principle as the election of the Lord Mayor. There are no candidates for the office in the Ammerbach district. Here, eligible voters can enter an eligible person's full name and occupation on the ballot paper. There is one candidate in 18 districts and two to five nominations in eleven districts. Where only one nomination has been approved, either this person can be elected or an eligible person can be entered on the ballot paper.

In the election of district councillors, each eligible voter has three votes, which they can split between one or more candidates.

Why vote at all?

• Voting is our right and a privilege.
• Every vote counts.
• If you vote, you decide. If you don't vote, you leave the decision to others.
• Voting means taking responsibility.
• Not voting out of protest does not work. Not voting does not harm any party. If you vote, you can clearly prefer one party to another.
• Voting actively influences politics and everyday life.