Your voting rights in Berlin's upcoming elections
Not having German citizenship does not automatically exclude you from voting. EU citizens can participate in local elections, and even refugees have ways to make their voices heard. Not sure if you can vote, who for, or what these bodies do? We’ve got you covered.
- 7 min read
German passport holders, EU citizens, refugees
Your voting rights in Berlin’s upcoming elections
- naturalized citizens are automatically registered to vote
- EU citizens can vote and stand for office in their municipality
- municipalities shape public services and infrastructure, this article explains how
- Landesbeirat für Partizipation advises the Berlin government on issues affecting migrants without voting rights
Not having German citizenship does not automatically exclude you from voting in Berlin's upcoming elections on 20 September. EU citizens can take part in local elections, and even refugees have opportunities to make their voices – indirectly – heard.
Not sure whether you can vote, which government bodies are being elected, what they do, or how the process works? We've got you covered.
A German passport guarantees full voting rights
Holders of a German passport enjoy full voting rights, regardless of whether they are German by birth or were naturalised later in life. This includes both active and passive voting rights, meaning they can vote and stand for office themselves.
German passport holders do not need to register to vote. Citizens are automatically entered on the electoral register provided they have been registered as residents for at least three months before election day. The deadline for this year's elections passed on 20 June.
Apart from meeting the minimum voting age, residence is the only further requirement. This reflects the strong emphasis on local representation at every level of government in Germany.
For the first time in Berlin, this year's elections will allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote. They will be able to cast their ballots for the Abgeordnetenhaus (the state parliament) and the Bezirksverordnetenversammlung (their local district assembly). However, the minimum age for standing as a candidate remains 18.
No referendums this year
As is the case in most other countries, the German Constitution excludes foreign nationals from federal, state and municipal elections [bmi.de].
Participation in referendums is also excluded. A referendum is an instrument of direct democracy that usually concerns issues affecting a particular federal state and its residents. While the result is not legally binding, it nevertheless carries significant political weight, putting pressure on state governments and parliaments to amend legislation, particularly when backed by high voter turnout.
No referendums will take place alongside this year's Berlin election. The petitions for a referendum launched by the "Berlin autofrei" (car-free Berlin) and "Berlin werbefrei" (ad-free Berlin) initiatives failed to gather enough signatures.
EU citizens can vote in local elections
There is, however, one important exception. EU citizens may vote and stand for election at local level. This right is guaranteed by both the German Constitution, known as the Grundgesetz, and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union [eur-lex.europa.eu].
In Berlin this is the Bezirksverordnetenversammlung (BVV). The minimum voting age for the BVV was lowered to 16 in 2011. To stand for election, one must be at least 18.
The State Statistical Office estimates that around 250,000 EU citizens living in Berlin will be eligible to vote in local elections this year. This represents roughly nine per cent of the electorate and is a new record high for the city.
According to Berlin's state election director or Landeswahlleiter (the overseeing returning officer), eligible EU citizens can expect their election materials delivered by post until 30 August [berlin.de]. If they have not been received by then, voters are advised to contact the state election director or their local Bezirksamt.
The election materials include the address of an assigned polling station, opening hours, instructions on how to complete the ballot papers and information about postal, absentee and early voting.
Postal ballots must arrive at the responsible electoral authority before polls close. Ballots received after the deadline are invalid, regardless of the postmark. As elections in Germany are always held on Sundays, when postal services are limited, postal ballots should be sent well in advance.
Landesbeirat für Partizipation: giving migrants a seat at the table
People with a migration history who are not eligible to vote in the Berlin election have another option to get involved and be represented.
Berlin's political machinery has a Landesbeirat für Partizipation, an advisory board to the state government that is able to voice concerns of certain groups that are likely to face discrimination. Its members are elected in part by NGOs working on migrant issues. Under the Berlin Participation Act, the perspectives of ethnic German resettlers, refugees, asylum seekers, Roma and Sinti, and others must be represented [parlament-berlin.de].
A second important advisory board in Berlin focuses on disability policies. Similar bodies exist at all three levels of government in Germany. They typically bring together experts, elected politicians and representatives of the communities whose interests they are intended to represent.
Advisory boards do not have formal decision-making powers. Instead, they make recommendations to government and ensure that the groups they represent can raise concerns within the political process.
The next election for the Landesbeirat für Partizipation is expected to take place in late 2026, although the exact date has not yet been confirmed. It is usually held after Berlin's state elections [berlin.de].
What do municipalities in Germany do?
One of the main responsibilities of municipalities in Germany is implementing the vast majority of public legislation. They are also responsible for providing social, health and welfare services, as well as services for residents such as issuing passports and identity cards. In addition, they oversee many cultural and educational services, including libraries, museums, and arts and cultural programmes.
Municipalities are the only level of government in Germany without legislative powers and therefore cannot pass laws.
They can, however, issue legally binding regulations covering matters such as fees for public services, zoning regulations and certain environmental rules. The German Constitution guarantees municipalities the right to manage these responsibilities independently and under their own authority.
As Berlin is both a city and a federal state, the relationship between municipal and state administration is unique. In many areas, the two levels of government work more closely together than they do elsewhere in Germany, ensuring, for example, that the same rules and fees apply across all 12 districts.
Some public services are delivered jointly by local and state authorities through centralised offices. These include vehicle registration, waste collection, drinking water supply and wastewater management.
Power is distributed differently at local level
As at federal and state level – through the Bundestag and, in Berlin's case, the Abgeordnetenhaus – local executives are not elected directly by voters but by a representative assembly. In Berlin, these assemblies are known as the Bezirksverordnetenversammlung, or BVV for short.
The mayors of Berlin's 12 districts, their deputies and the political heads of the district administrations are elected by their respective BVVs.
Members of the BVV also have the final say on the district budget. Most other matters, however, fall within the responsibility of the district mayor and the Bezirksamt (district administration).
While the BVV can debate local issues and adopt resolutions, many of its decisions are not legally binding. Instead, they amount to requests for action addressed to the district administration. The Bezirksamt may implement these requests or explain why it has decided not to do so.
This arrangement differs from the relationship between legislatures and executives at state and federal level. It reflects the fact that municipalities in Germany do not have legislative powers and are primarily responsible for administering public services rather than making laws. Unlike members of state and federal parliaments, those serving on district assemblies such as the BVV are not full-time politicians but hold their positions in a part-time, honorary capacity.
Sendung: rbb|24, 21.07.2026, 06:48 Uhr
Audio: rbb|24, 21.07.2026, Sieba Abadi im Gespräch mit Oliver Noffke
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