Tag: voting
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A Mayor Tandem for Berlin
What if Berlin had two Regierende Bürgermeister:innen? One representing the city’s elected voice — and another representing the voice of Berlin’s international residents who live, work and contribute here but do not have German citizenship and therefore cannot vote in Berlin elections. Because in a democratic society, it can’t be right that 25% of the people who live here have no…
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No German Passport? You May Still Have a Vote in Berlin
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…
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The Signature That Didn’t Count – Finding My Voice in Berlin
When I moved to Berlin in the spring of 2022, I was approached one sunny afternoon by people carrying clipboards under their arms. Would I like to sign a petition? I was pleasantly surprised by this request – such a sense of community in Berlin, what a place to have come to live. With a Spätibier in my hand and surrounded…
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Berlin Wiki: Who Votes – and Who Stays Home?
How Many People Participate in Elections? After every election in Germany, one figure receives particular attention: voter turnout, the share of eligible voters who actually cast their ballots. In German public debate, close attention is paid to how voter turnout develops over time. For example, in the 2025 federal election, 82.5 percent of eligible voters across Germany cast their ballots. This…
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Berlin Wiki: How Do the First and Second Vote Work?
What Does the First Vote Decide? The article looks at how voters elect candidates and parties in Bundestag elections and elections to the Berlin House of Representatives, and how seats in parliament are distributed through proportional representation. In Bundestag elections or elections to the House of Representatives, voters cast both a first vote and a second vote. With the first vote,…
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Berlin Wiki: Parties, Direct Mandates and the Five-Percent Threshold
What Is a Political Party? A political party is an association of citizens regulated by the German Federal Party Law. Political parties aim to influence political decision-making at federal or state level over a longer period of time and may represent voters in state parliaments or in the Bundestag. First of all, a party needs members. In addition, the party itself…
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