A total of 55 district councillors [Bezirksverordnete] will be elected. These are members of parties and voters’ associations [Wählergemeinschaften]. They provide lists of candidates.

In the BVV election you vote for a list rather than individuals. That means: You vote for a party or voter’s association [Wählergemeinschaft].

Seats in the BVV are allocated depending on how many votes a party or voter’s association [Wählergemeinschaft] receives. The sequence of candidates on the list determines which candidates receive a seat.

Parties and voters’ associations [Wählergemeinschaften] must receive at least 3% of the votes cast in a particular district in order to take a seat in the BVV.

In brief: Voter’s association [Wählergemeinschaft] A voters’ association [Wählergemeinschaft] is a collection of citizens who advocate for specific, usually local, issues without being a political party. Voter’s associations often emerge from citizens’ initiatives.