New podcast WahlLOKAL” starts: Local elections on March 8, 2026 in focus!

New podcast WahlLOKAL” starts: Local elections on March 8, 2026 in focus!

The podcast “WahlLOKAL” will start on November 10, 2025 and will take a closer look at the local political situation in the Bavarian Lower Main. In the first episode, moderated by editor-in-chief Martin Schwarzkopf, the two editorial directors Lena Schwaiger and Jens Raab are guests. They are the focus of exciting discussions about the upcoming local elections on March 8, 2026. It's about everything voters need to know, from the ballot papers to the distribution of votes.

A particular focus is on the mayoral candidates. The mayor of Lohr, Mario Paul, is running as an independent candidate. In Aschaffenburg, the incumbent SPD mayor Jürgen Herzing faces four challengers. CSU man Stephan Noll also has to reckon with at least four opposing candidates in Alzenau. This dynamic pool of applicants promises an exciting election campaign and stimulates political discussions in the region.

Regular insights into local politics

The podcast will appear at least every two weeks until March 2026, and even weekly at the beginning. The further episodes aim to shed light on specific local political issues in Miltenberg, Lohr and Aschaffenburg. In connection with this, the Main-Echo offers ongoing reporting on the 2026 local elections, including an online dossier with articles by city and district, which is available on main-echo.de is available.

Election forums are also planned from January 2026, where citizens will have the opportunity to talk directly to the candidates. This also raises the question of how school education can shape the political participation of the young generation. As is well known, local elections in Bavaria only take place every six years, and many students usually only have the opportunity to deal with this important issue once during their time at school. The teacher podcast “Time for Politics” offers a discussion about local politics in two parts, which will certainly also promote the students’ understanding of democracy.

Challenges for political participation

A fundamental challenge remains the significant difference between the number of men and women entering politics. Institutions such as the association FidiP - Women in Politics, under the presidency of Sabine Appelhagen, are actively committed to promoting women's political participation. FidiP offers mentoring, networking and training to attract more women to political office. Questions about the neutrality of teachers in the classroom - especially when parents or colleagues are candidates - are also points that must be addressed in political education. Rupert Grübel, director of the state center for political education, provides useful answers to these topics in a podcast.

The upcoming election campaign in Bavaria, especially in the Lower Main, shows that there is a lot going on. With the new podcast and accompanying formats, those responsible want to ensure that citizens are well informed and included in the discussion. This means that local political participation becomes part of our daily life - and there is something to be said for it!