Voting with multiple votes, accumulating and deciding on a list of candidates is not immediately clear to many citizens. To make preparation easier, an online sample ballot paper is now available.
Get to know the voting process in advance
The digital sample ballot paper clearly shows
- how the ballot paper is structured
- what voting options are available
- what to look out for when casting your vote.
The system immediately indicates if a mistake has been made when casting a vote and the ballot paper would be invalid in this form on election day. This allows you to familiarize yourself with the procedure before 8 March and vote safely.
Please note: The online sample ballot paper is for information and illustration purposes only. It is not the original official ballot paper.
How to vote in the city council election
You can cast a total of 50 votes in the city council election. Important:
- If more than 50 votes are cast, the ballot paper is invalid.
- Less than 50 votes may be cast.
Your options for allocating votes
- Accumulate: You can give up to three votes to individual candidates on a list.
- Panache: You can distribute your votes among candidates on different lists.
- Crossing off a list: You can also cross off an entire list. In this case, each person on this list receives one vote. Important: If you tick a list and also give votes to individuals on other lists, the individual votes you have given count first. Any remaining votes are allocated from top to bottom of the ticked list. Individual candidates can be deleted. They are then not included in the allocation of votes via the list cross.
How to vote in the mayoral election
Every person entitled to vote has one vote.
- The person who receives more than half of the valid votes cast is elected.
- If no candidate achieves this majority, a run-off election will be held on March 22 between the two candidates with the most valid votes.
- In the run-off election, the simple majority of valid votes is decisive.
Here: Accessible information on the candidates
All information on the local elections can be found here: www. erlangen.de/kommunalwahl.
Photo: Adobe stock
Read more about the local elections
Local elections
On Sunday, March 8, 2026, there will be local elections in Bavaria. Erlangen will also be voting. Here you can find all the important information about going to the polls.
Local elections: The candidates
Sunday, March 8, is the municipal election. The municipal election committee of the City of Erlangen has approved eight nominations each for the election of the Lord Mayor and for the election of the City Council.
Local elections
On Sunday, March 8, 2026, there will be local elections in Bavaria. Erlangen will also be voting. Here you can find all the important information about going to the polls.
Local elections: The candidates
Sunday, March 8, is the municipal election. The municipal election committee of the City of Erlangen has approved eight nominations each for the election of the Lord Mayor and for the election of the City Council.