Voting for the Integration Council Commences on September 14 - Mail-in Ballots now Available as of August 18
News Article: Voting Procedures and Eligibility for Integrationsrat Elections in Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis
In the upcoming elections for Mayor, City Council, District Administrator, District Council, and Integrations Council in the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis on September 14, 2025, eligible voters have the option to cast their ballots either by postal voting or in-person voting at designated polling stations.
Eligibility for Voting in the Integrationsrat Elections
To be eligible to vote in the Integrationsrat (Integrations Council) election, non-German citizens with foreign nationality must meet certain criteria. Voters must be at least 16 years old on election day, have had their main residence in the municipality (e.g., Burscheid or Bergisch Gladbach) for at least 16 days before the election, and have been legally residing in Germany for at least one year before the election. Asylum seekers are not eligible to vote in the Integrationsrat election.
Naturalized German citizens who wish to vote in the Integrationsrat must explicitly register for the voter list; they are not automatically included and need to apply to be entered into the electoral register to participate.
Procedures for Postal and Direct (In-Person) Voting
Voters who are registered in the voters' list can choose to vote by post (postal voting) or in-person voting (direct voting) at designated polling stations (Wahllokale) on election day. To vote by post, voters need to apply for a postal voting certificate (Wahlbrief or Wahlschein). This enables them to cast their vote before election day by mail.
In-person voting takes place at the direct voting office, which will open on August 18, 2025, and will be located on the Zanders site, An der Gohrsmühle 25, 51469 Bergisch Gladbach. The office will be open Monday to Friday between 10 am and 6 pm, and Saturday between 10 am and 3 pm. Completed voting materials must reach the voting office by 4 pm on election day. The office can be contacted at 02202 - 14 2888.
Voters should note that parking on the Zanders site is prohibited due to limited capacity. It is recommended to use nearby public parking lots, arrive on foot, by bicycle, or by public transportation.
Those who have not received a voting notification by the specified date (August 24, 2025) should contact the voting office to ensure their participation in the elections. Voters can also request postal voting materials immediately.
Detailed instructions and polling station locations can often be found on official municipal websites or portals such as www.wahlschein.de, which also facilitates finding accessible voting locations. The deadline to request postal voting varies but usually must be done several days before election day. If no letter with the voting documents arrives, it is important to contact the election office quickly to ensure participation.
[1] Official Municipal Website [2] Wahlschießerei Rhein-Berg [3] German Federal Ministry of the Interior [4] Wahlschießerei Deutschland
- For the Integrationsrat elections in Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis, non-German citizens must not only adhere to the general eligibility requirements such as age, residence, and residency status, but they also need to register explicitly if they are naturalized German citizens.
- To cast votes in the upcoming Integrationsrat elections in Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis, eligible voters can opt for either postal voting or in-person voting at designated polling stations. Importantly, if someone has not received a voting notification by August 24, 2025, contacting the voting office can help ensure one's participation in the elections.
