Niedersachsen Local Elections Explained: How to Cast Your Votes

Who will run Lower Saxony’s municipalities, cities and districts? Voters will decide at the state’s local elections on September 13, when polling stations will open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The elections take place every five years. If no candidate secures the required majority for the top local administrative post in an electoral district, voters will return to the polls on September 27 for a runoff between the two leading candidates.

The ballot covers local representative bodies, including the regional assembly, district councils, joint-municipality councils and city and municipal councils. In municipalities with localities or boroughs, voters will also elect local or district advisory councils. Many municipalities will additionally elect administrative leaders, including full-time mayors, lord mayors, joint-municipality mayors and district administrators. In the Hanover region, voters directly elect the regional president when the current officeholder’s term ends on October 31, 2026.

Twenty-six parties have been approved to run, alongside local voter groups and independent candidates. The exact candidates and proposals on the ballot depend on the electoral area.

EU citizens can vote if they are at least 16 on election day, have lived in Lower Saxony for at least three months and appear on the electoral register or hold a voting certificate. The state election commissioner expects about 6.3 million eligible voters. Voters receive a notification stating their polling place, while postal ballots remain available. Applications for a voting certificate can be submitted until September 11 at 1 p.m., and completed ballots must reach the municipality by 6 p.m. on election day. Local councils are elected under proportional representation, and voters may distribute up to three votes on each ballot.