What will be elected in Berlin in 2026?
On September 20, 2026, a new House of Representatives will be elected in Berlin. At the same time, the district assemblies of Berlin’s twelve districts will also be elected. The electoral term is always five years. Voters therefore decide which parties and politicians will serve in these bodies over the next five years. These elections determine who makes political decisions in Berlin—both for the entire city and for the individual districts.
All German citizens with permanent residence in Berlin are eligible to vote. For the district assemblies, people with EU citizenship are also allowed to vote. For the first time, 16- and 17-year-olds are also eligible to vote.
What is the House of Representatives (Abgeordnetenhaus) in Berlin?
Berlin is not only a city but also a federal state of Germany and therefore has its own parliament. In Berlin, it is called the House of Representatives (Abgeordnetenhaus). It is located in the former Prussian State Parliament building in Berlin-Mitte.
It has at least 130 seats, which are filled by elected members. These belong to different parties and form parliamentary groups. Together, they decide on laws and important political issues for Berlin. The composition of the parliament depends on the election results.
The House of Representatives primarily deals with issues that directly affect Berlin, such as schools, public transport, or housing.
What is the Senate in Berlin?
The Senate is the government of the federal state of Berlin. It implements political decisions and manages the city’s administration.
The Senate consists of the Governing Mayor of Berlin and several senators. Each senator is responsible for a specific area, such as education, transport, or internal affairs.
The House of Representatives elects the Governing Mayor. After being elected, the mayor appoints the senators and forms the new Senate. While the House of Representatives passes laws and makes political decisions, the Senate implements these decisions in practice. The result of the 2026 election will therefore also determine how Berlin’s future Senate is composed.
What is a district (Bezirk)?
Berlin is divided into twelve districts (Bezirke), with an average population of 300,000 per district..
After German reunification in 1990, Berlin initially consisted of 23 districts. In 2001, they were reduced and merged into twelve. This is why many districts have double names, such as Tempelhof-Schöneberg.
District administrations are responsible for local matters that do not concern the entire city. For example, they manage local parks and schools. They are also responsible for citizens’ offices, where residents often need to go to submit applications.
Each district has a district mayor, who is elected by the district assembly.
What is a District Assembly (Bezirksverordnetenversammlung, BVV)?
A District Assembly (Bezirksverordnetenversammlung, BVV) is the political representation of residents in Berlin’s districts. It decides on important local issues such as schools or infrastructure. It also elects the district mayor.
However, it cannot pass its own laws.
The BVV consists of at least 55 members. They are elected by district residents every five years, at the same time as the House of Representatives election.
All EU citizens with residence in the district who are at least 16 years old are allowed to vote in BVV elections or run as candidates themselves.
The factions in the BVV usually consist of the major German parties such as CDU, SPD, the Greens, the Left Party, and AfD.
Here you can find the Berlin Wiki page of Berliner Morgenpost.
