Choice at the Folkwang University: This is how you are there!

Choice at the Folkwang University: This is how you are there!

Essen, Deutschland - On February 11, 2025, the elections at Folkwang University of the Arts are just around the corner. In this election, all status groups have the opportunity to participate: teachers, students and employees in technology and administration. Access to the online elections is via email that is sent to all folkwängler. It is pointed out that there should be enough storage space in the email inbox in order to receive the important information in good time. A comprehensive information page for election, including the election advertisement and PDFs for election proposals, is at www.filkwang-uni.de/Wahl

The election documents also include an overview of the bodies and their functions, created by Folkwang Studiscouts. In addition, portraits of the previous student representatives are also part of the information offer. The university thus relies on transparency and participation through access to relevant information and the possibility of electronic voting.

legal foundations of the online elections

The implementation of online elections at universities is largely legally regulated in Germany. According to information from Polyas , the university law is a state law, which is why every federal state has its own regulations. The legal basis for electronic elections exists in almost all federal states, and universities are authorized to issue corresponding regulations in their electoral regulations.

The Higher Administrative Court in Thuringia decided in 2013 that universities have their own statutory autonomy. So you can determine how your electoral regulations are. The possibility of increasing the turnout through online elections was particularly emphasized, which is also required in other federal states such as Hamburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein. These countries are calling for universities to develop electoral regulations that promote a high turnout.

• Baden-Württemberg: § 9 (8) sentence 4 of the State High School Act mentions electronic media for elections.
• Hamburg: § 99 (3) demands high turnout.
• Sachsen-Anhalt: § 62 (2) emphasizes the need for high voter participation.
• Schleswig-Holstein: § 17 (3) Also with the aim of high voter participation.
• Bremen: § 99 (3) regulates the implementation of elections by election order.
• Bavaria: Elections since 2020 only regulated by the law; currently only allowed personal voting and postal voting.

However, most federal states have general authorizations to regulate elections through electoral regulations, which enables the introduction of online elections if the corresponding requirements are regulated in the statutes and the election regulations. Some universities have already started using professional online electoral systems to meet the legal and practical requirements.

Folkwang University of the Arts uses these options to promote voter turnout and to ensure easy access to the election documents and information. This corresponds to the trend of strengthening the participation at universities and actively integrating the students into the process.