What’s Happening in Saarland Today
The local elections in Saarland are taking place today, including both the European and municipal elections. This marks an important day as all city and municipal councils, as well as several mayors and district administrators, are up for new elections. Additionally, for the first time, young people are allowed to participate in at least one of the elections.
The European elections are considered to be one of the largest democratic elections worldwide. An estimated 350 to 400 million EU citizens are called upon to cast their votes, including around 750,000 residents from Saarland. This includes the approximately 730,000 adult citizens of Saarland, as well as EU citizens residing in the region. In addition, about 14,000 young people aged 16 and 17 are eligible to vote in the European elections for the first time, with 34 parties to choose from in Saarland.
For the simultaneous municipal and direct elections, the minimum voting age is 18 years. All municipal councils in Saarland are being newly elected, along with over 300 local and district councils, as well as the county councils and the regional assembly. Sixteen cities and municipalities are also seeking new mayors, with Saarlouis, Völklingen, and Homburg looking for new mayors. Furthermore, the district offices in St. Wendel, Neunkirchen, and Saarpfalz-Kreis, as well as the director positions in the Regionalverband, will be newly appointed.
Depending on their place of residence, voters will have several different ballot papers to fill out. The polling stations will be open from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm in Germany, with the counting starting after closure. Initial results are expected later in the evening, while the provisional official final results for the European elections are anticipated to be announced in the early hours of Monday, according to the Federal Returning Officer.
The SR will be providing continuous coverage on SRinfo.de and SAARTEXT through numerous special TV and radio broadcasts on election night.
For more information on the municipal and European elections in Saarland, visit SRinfo.de.