Election consolidation is being hindered due to legislative barriers
In the German state of County Neuwied, residents are gearing up for a series of elections scheduled for February 23, 2025, and April 6, 2025. However, a legal hurdle prevents the simultaneous election of the county administrator, as the current position holder, Achim Hallerbach, steps down on December 31, 2025, nine months before the February election.
County Administrator Hallerbach has emphasized the importance of these elections, urging everyone to participate. He has also advocated for a joint election date for the Bundestag, county council, and mayors in County Neuwied, to streamline the process and increase voter turnout.
Unfortunately, the current legal framework does not allow for the bundling of these elections on February 23, 2025. The laws in County Neuwied do not provide a citizen-friendly, flexible-pragmatic solution for a complete bundling of elections. This is in line with the general principle in German electoral law, which aims to maintain clear distinctions between federal, state, and local electoral processes.
However, some exceptions exist. The city of Neuwied is one such exception due to the early termination of Mayor Jan Einig's term on November 13, 2025, allowing the mayoral election to align with the federal election on February 23, 2025. This alignment applies to the mayors of Asbach, Puderbach, and Rengsdorf-Waldbreitbach as well.
County Administrator Hallerbach laments that a change in state law to allow for this is unlikely to be feasible in the short time. He explains that no one knew at the time of agreement that there would be early federal elections at the end of February 2025. The date was agreed upon within the municipal family with the affected association communities and the city of Neuwied.
The direct elections for the position of county administrator and mayors can now take place earliest on April 6, 2025. The Association of Neuwied Cities and Municipalities (ADD) confirmed this in a letter to County Administrator Hallerbach last week.
Despite the challenges, County Administrator Hallerbach encourages everyone to exercise their right to vote in both the February 23 and April 6 elections, emphasizing the importance of democracy in County Neuwied.
- County Administrator Hallerbach, in his advocacy, has proposed aligning the election dates for the Bundestag, county council, and mayors in County Neuwied to streamline the process and increase voter turnout, but the current legal framework does not allow for this on February 23, 2025.
- Despite the inability to bundle elections on February 23, 2025, due to legal restrictions, County Administrator Hallerbach emphasizes the importance of democracy in County Neuwied and encourages everyone to exercise their right to vote in both the February 23 and April 6 elections, which are scheduled for the direct elections for the positions of county administrator and mayors.
