Election proposals for the 2026 state election: Deadline is approaching for Frankenthal!

Election proposals for the 2026 state election: Deadline is approaching for Frankenthal!

The Rhineland-Palatinate state elections are scheduled for March 22, 2026. The official forms for submitting election proposals have been available in the Frankenthal city administration since yesterday. These can be easily downloaded from the city's homepage. For those interested in running, it is important to know that the deadline for submitting proposals is Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 6 p.m. The electoral office in Frankenthal is available to answer any questions and can be reached by email at wahlen@frankenthal.de.

The political landscape in Rhineland-Palatinate could change significantly in the coming year. The government coalition of SPD, FDP and Alliance 90/The Greens currently forms a majority in the state parliament, but this could be at risk since the coalition no longer has a clear majority. Politically, possible new government coalitions are being discussed. At least 51 mandates are necessary to ensure stable leadership. It remains to be seen whether parties will reach the five percent threshold or whether this will lead to a change in the distribution of seats, which could shake up the situation of the individual parties, as has been the case in the past.

Electoral system and history

The state elections in Rhineland-Palatinate have a long history, dating back to the first election in 1947. The nationwide electoral law currently stipulates that voters have two votes: one for the constituency and one for the state list. The 101 seats are distributed according to the Hare/Niemeyer procedure, although the Sainte Laguë procedure has been used since the 2011 election. These election methods have become established over the years and ensure a fairer distribution of seats in the state parliament.

In recent elections, smaller parties have often received disproportionate shares, leading to a number of legal disputes. An example of this is the FDP in 1971, whose lawsuit at the Federal Constitutional Court was ultimately successful and led to a reform of the electoral law.

The constituency division has also changed over the years. From the initial five constituencies, the number has increased to 51, which makes political representation in Rhineland-Palatinate more meaningful. Today, each constituency has a representative who is elected with a relative majority, which gives voters more influence on the composition of the state parliament.

In view of the upcoming elections, it is particularly important to keep a close eye on both political developments and the legal framework. Anyone who wants to actively participate in shaping politics in Rhineland-Palatinate should definitely keep an eye on the deadlines and requirements for election proposals.