If you are an EU citizen living in Berlin but do not have German citizenship, you cannot vote in the election for Berlin’s House of Representatives (Abgeordnetenhaus). But you can vote for your local District Assembly (Bezirksverordnetenversammlung, or BVV) if you meet the eligibility requirements.
Around 240,000 non-German EU citizens are eligible to take part in Berlin’s BVV elections on September 20. Yet many people simply don’t know that they have this right.
Ahead of the election, European affairs officers from several Berlin districts have therefore launched “Let’s Vote”, a series of free, multilingual information events across the city.
The goal is not only to explain how voting works. The events also offer a space to discuss political participation and a much more immediate question: How can you help shape the neighbourhood and district where you live?
“Many EU citizens simply don’t know about their right to vote or don’t make use of it,” says Lena Strehmann, European Affairs Officer at the Neukölln District Office’s Unit for Dialogue and Future (Stabsstelle für Dialog und Zukunft).
Language barriers may be one reason. Another is Berlin’s rather complex political system: Senate, House of Representatives, district mayors, district councillors and BVVs all have different roles and responsibilities.
But what does the BVV actually do?
That is one of the questions the “Let’s Vote” events want to answer.
Participants learn what the District Assembly is, how decisions are made at district level and what influence the BVV has on everyday life in Berlin’s neighbourhoods.
The events also explain the practical side of the September 20 election: How does the election work? What happens at the polling station? How can you apply for postal voting? And what can you do if you want to vote at a different polling station?
After an introduction to Berlin’s political institutions and the work of the BVV, participants meet in small groups to discuss what matters to them in their district, what they would like to change and how EU citizens can become more actively involved in local political life.
There is also time for questions, drinks and snacks – the idea is to create an informal space to meet other people and learn about local democracy.
Events in five languages across Berlin
“Let’s Vote” events are being offered in German, English, Polish, Romanian and Hungarian.
The languages were selected together with local venues according to the communities living in the respective neighbourhoods. And you don’t have to attend an event in your own district: you are welcome to join a session elsewhere in Berlin if its date or language suits you better.
Most events don’t require registration – you can simply turn up.
One exception is the “Let’s Vote in Mitte” event on Wednesday, August 26, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Stadtwerkstatt, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 11. The event takes place in German and English and is hosted by Sabine Küster, European Affairs Officer for Mitte, and Reinhard Fischer from the Berlin State Agency for Civic Education (Berliner Landeszentrale für politische Bildung). Registration is requested for this event.
(Find all “Let’s Vote” events, dates, locations and languages here.)
No voting rights? Make your voice heard with StimmlosTrend
While EU citizens can vote in Berlin’s district elections, close to one million international Berliners do not have the right to vote in Berlin elections. That is why we launched StimmlosTrend, our short, non-partisan survey for Berliners without voting rights.
We want to know how they see Berlin’s future, which issues matter most to them, how they participate in public life, what they think about the way the city is governed – and whether they would vote if they had the opportunity.
StimmlosTrend is now in its second phase and available in English, German, Turkish, Ukrainian, Russian and Arabic. Our aim is to reach as many of Berlin’s different international communities as possible and build a broad picture of what Berliners without voting rights think about their city.
The results will be published before the September 20 elections in cooperation with our media partner, Berliner Morgenpost.
If you live in Berlin but cannot vote, this is your chance to make your voice heard. Take part in StimmlosTrend – and share the survey with others who cannot vote.
(Header image: © Unsplash | Markus Winkler)
