How to vote in Leipzig

1Can I vote?

Citizens of countries outside the EU cannot vote in this election. There is no voting at 16 in local elections in Saxony.¹²

2When and where?

Election day

Sunday, 21 February 2027
Polling stations are open from 8 am to 6 pm.²³

Polling card

You will get a polling card (Wahlbenachrichtigung) by post. According to the city's schedule, all cards should be sent by the end of January 2027. Keep it: there is no new card for a possible second round.³⁵

Your polling station

Its address is printed on your polling card. Not all polling stations are step-free; the card says whether yours is. If you cannot fill in the ballot yourself, you may bring a person to help you.⁴

Your vote

Every voter has one vote.⁸⁹

3Voting by post

Everyone on the electoral roll can vote by post (Briefwahl). Sending your vote back costs nothing; only an application sent by post needs a stamp.⁶⁷

1. Apply online on the city's website, by post with the form on the back of your polling card, by e-mail, or in person at the postal voting office in the New Town Hall. You cannot apply by phone.⁶⁷
2. Deadline to apply: Friday, 19 February 2027, 4 pm.⁵⁷
3. Send it back unstamped: post it by Thursday, 18 February 2027, or hand it in at the election office by 6 pm on election day.⁵⁷
4. Second round: if you voted by post in the first round, you will automatically get the documents again.⁵

4Who wins?

A candidate who gets more than half of the valid votes on 21 February is elected.⁸⁹

If nobody does, there is a second round on Sunday, 21 March 2027. Then the candidate with the most votes wins. This is not a run-off between the top two: candidates from the first round can stand again, they can withdraw or change their nomination until Friday, 26 February 2027, 6 pm, and new candidates can join.⁸¹⁰

5What does the mayor do?

The mayor heads the city administration, represents the city and chairs the city council, with a vote of their own. The term of office is seven years.¹

6The candidates

14 people have announced that they are running, in alphabetical order. The official list of candidates will be published after the nomination deadline on 17 December 2026.¹¹ Profiles are in German.

• GAGetu Abrahamindependent
• FFFalk FiebigVolt
• AGAnne GiermannPiraten
• WGWolfram GüntherGrüne
• SJSkadi JennickeDie Linke
• LKLars Kuleschindependent
• DPDirk PanterSPD
• EREric ReckeBSW
• TRTom RodigDie PARTEI
• FSFabian SchmidtHumanisten
• DTDirk Thärichenindependent
• ATAlexander TürpeFDP
• MWMichael WeickertCDU
• AWAlexander WiesnerAfD

As of 6 October 2026. Sources for every candidate are on their profile page.