Local Elections

Tomorrow we have four local elections taking place throughout Bavaria in 2056 independent political parishes & the 96 independent political counties & cities, the parishes are part of.

1) Parish councillors on a PR type system
2) Parish Mayor on a FPTP system but must get 50.01%. As only 2 candidates, should be decided at first attempt
3) County Councillors on a PR type system
4) Head of County Council, again FPTP but 50.01% majority needed & here 4 candidates.

We have gone for the postal voting system and went along to the parish council offices yesterday to pick them up. Have to be in the post by 6:00pm tonight or we have to put them in the town hall postbox by close of voting at 6:00pm tomorrow.

As t turned out, old parish mayor got reelected & the likely candidate for Head of County Council who is new but from the same party as now retiring one, failed by 27 votes out of 75,000 to get a majority. Closest such result in the whole of Bavaria, so he has to go to a 2nd election in two weeks time. Because of Corona this will now be 100% postal vote & papers will be sent to all registered electors.

The two PR votes are quite fun: you can either simply put one X next to a party and accept their choice of candidates or you can place your Xs at free will all over the place - for Left, Right, Middle, Green & you decide who is the more important candidate.

For the parish councillors, we had 28 crosses to make to elect 14 people & for the county councillors, we had 60 crosses to elect 30 people.

That's what I call democracy!