Whoever lives here belongs to here – regardless of passport: The symbolic mayoral election for non-eligible Mannheim (Germany) residents

Almost 15 percent of Mannheim residents aged 16 and older are excluded from the official mayor election because they do not have German or EU citizenship and are therefore not eligible to vote. Nevertheless, they can make their voice visible in a symbolic mayoral election, which the Mannheim Migration Advisory Council organizes together with cooperation partners citywide. In this way, the public and politicians are to be sensitized to the deficient political participation of those who do not have the right to vote and are thus excluded from important democratic decision-making processes. At the same time, it is a new and exciting experience for many non-electors to raise their voices. The campaign solicits support from native society and migrant communities for the introduction of municipal voting rights for third-country nationals. During the “Shape Academy”, the municipal right to vote was highlighted as an urgent need and the Symbolic Election was identified as a good practice. Find more about this initiative in our Factsheet about the Symbolic Mayoral Election 2023in Stuttgart!