A candidate's election will be nullified if they are removed from office through voting

In the upcoming municipal elections, it's important for voters to understand the rules regarding adding a candidate's name to the ballot. Here's a breakdown of the voting regulations in different regions of Germany:

In Ludwigshafen and North Rhine-Westphalia, adding or writing a candidate's name on the ballot if they are not officially listed is prohibited and leads to the vote being invalid. This rule is based on municipal election law in Rhineland-Palatinate and the rules in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Similar claims are circulating regarding the mayoral election in Lage, North Rhine-Westphalia. The same warning applies in North Rhine-Westphalia regarding adding a candidate's name to the ballot if they are not listed.

However, in Bavaria, there is an exception to this rule. According to Article 40 of the Bavarian Municipal and District Election Act, if only one candidate is nominated, a voter can enter another eligible person on the ballot and strike out candidates. This exception was the reason a man was elected mayor in Bavaria in September 2024, despite his name not being on the original ballot. A sample ballot for such a case in Bavaria allows a candidate to be entered by hand.

In Rhineland-Palatinate, if only one election proposal has been approved, the voter can enter other eligible persons on the ballot and strike out candidates, as stated in paragraph 30 subsection 2 of the Municipal Election Act of Rhineland-Palatinate. This regulation is similar to that in Bavaria.

It's worth noting that the AfD candidate, Joachim Paul, was previously excluded from the election due to doubts about his loyalty to the constitution. Despite this, Paul intends to continue pursuing legal action against his exclusion from the election in Ludwigshafen.

In Ludwigshafen, four persons are approved for the election in September, so this exception does not apply. Therefore, adding, striking out, or making supplements on the ballot will result in the vote being invalid.

A new mayor will be elected in Ludwigshafen on September 21st. Voters are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the official candidates and to ensure their votes are counted by following the voting rules carefully.