Election fever in Lengerich: Who will take part on September 14th?

Election fever in Lengerich: Who will take part on September 14th?

Preparations for the local elections in Cologne on September 14, 2025 are in full swing. Last Monday, the deadline for parties and mayoral candidates to submit election documents ended at 6 p.m. The next step is the meeting of the election committee, which meets on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in room 141 of the city administration. The decision on the approval of the nominations is on the agenda there, which is of great importance for everyone involved as it sets the course for the election campaign. According to [wn.de](https://www.wn.de/muensterland/kreis-steinfurt/lengerich/wie-viele-lengericher-duerfen-waehlen-wer- stands-zur-wahl-3347439), the preparations are particularly important because local elections in Germany play a central role in the political system.

The legal framework for the upcoming local elections was created by new legislation in the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament. The “Law Amending the Local Elections Act and Other Election-Related Regulations” was passed with the votes of the Greens, CDU and SPD. These changes were decided to facilitate the preparation and implementation of local and federal elections, according to gruene-fraktion-nrw.de.

The most important legal changes

An important point of the reform concerns the possibility of combining the federal election with the local elections and a possible runoff election. This could increase voter turnout and create greater awareness about the elections. The assembly meetings for the election proposals may be held from August 1, 2024. The election proposals must be submitted to the returning officer at 6 p.m. at the latest 69 calendar days before the election.

• Frist zur Einteilung der Wahlbezirke in Gemeinden: 51 Monate bis zum 31.01.2025.
• Der Wahlausschuss entscheidet über die Zulassung der Wahlvorschläge spätestens 58 Tage vor der Wahl.
• Eine Paritätsklausel für Geschlechtergleichheit wurde eingeführt, die Parteien zur Geschlechterparität bei Wahlvorschlägen auffordert.
• Der Zuschnitt der Wahlkreise muss künftig anhand der Wahlberechtigten und nicht mehr der Einwohner festgelegt werden.

In addition, another innovation concerns the requirements for supporting signatures for election proposals. In the future, these must be provided with contact details in order to increase transparency and security in the electoral process.

The electoral system and the right to vote

The local elections include the elections of the parliamentary representatives of the municipalities and cities as well as the direct election of the (major) mayors. This type of election is regulated in Germany by the Basic Law, which, in Article 28, Paragraph 1, requires the representation of the people through general, direct, free, equal and secret elections. Union citizens residing in Germany are also entitled to vote, which promotes participation in the democratic process. In Cologne it is clear in this context that local issues in particular often influence voters' votes. Voter turnout is often lower than in state or federal elections - a circumstance that must also be considered with regard to the necessary mobilization of voters, as bpb.de explains.

With all of these innovations and the upcoming election, an exciting time lies ahead in which citizens can cast their vote and actively participate in shaping their community. Stay tuned to find out more about the candidates and developments in the election campaign!