Bochum Local Elections: Key Issues and Responses
Municipal Election in Bochum, Germany: Key Details and Voting Information
The city of Bochum in Germany will be holding its local election on September 14, 2025. This election will include the election of the mayor and local council races.
Voter Turnout and Polling Station Helpers
In the 2020 municipal election, less than half of eligible voters cast their votes, with a turnout of around 48 percent for the election of the mayor and city council. As the city prepares for the upcoming election, it is looking for approximately 2,300 polling station helpers to assist with the voting process.
Postal Voting and Compensation
Postal voting documents have been dispatched since August 8, and most of them have already been received. Citizens can apply for postal voting using a form in the voting notification, online at bochum.de/wahlschein/, or via the Bochum app. Those who wish can also receive push notifications about the current functions of the Wahlbuddy, such as when postal voting is still possible or what happens next if there is a runoff election.
Polling station helpers will receive a compensation of 40 euros, or 70 euros if they also helped at the federal election in 2025. Interested parties can register as polling station helpers by phone, email, or online via a polling station helper registration form on the city's website.
Multilingual Information and Resources
The city provides multilingual information on its website about the municipal election and the election of the integration committee, as well as a dedicated section in the Bochum app called "Wahlbuddy". A brochure called "Voting in Bochum" provides information in everyday and easy-to-understand language and is available free of charge at the district administration offices and can also be downloaded. The Wahlbuddy includes a polling station finder, the option to apply for postal voting, and an FAQ where the most important questions are answered.
Candidate Information
No specific information regarding the candidates running for mayor in Bochum on this date was found in the search results. To find the most up-to-date and authoritative details on candidates and helper compensation, it is recommended to consult the official Bochum city website or local election office.
In general, local elections in Germany often include multiple candidates from major parties such as the SPD, CDU, Greens, AfD, and others. The Social Democrats (SPD) have been historically strong in the Ruhr area, which includes Bochum. The rise of the AfD in nearby regions has caused political shifts, but no specific Bochum mayoral candidate information is available at this time.
The upcoming municipal election in Bochum, Germany, on September 14, 2025, will not only decide the city's mayor but also the local council races. As in the general-news sphere, multiple candidates from major parties like the SPD, CDU, Greens, and AfD, among others, might be running for the mayor position in Bochum. The city offers multilingual resources about the election on its website and the Bochum app for easy access to information.