Local & foreigner council elections 2026

Local elections 2026 in Hesse

Information in simple language

Local elections are held every 5 years.
Local means:
for a town, municipality or district.

In local elections, people are elected for:

• the City Council
• the municipal representation
• the district council.

The elected people decide:

• What is important for the city, municipality or district?
• You check: What is important? What is right?
• How can the work be done.

The next municipal elections are on 15 March 2026

Who can vote?

You can vote:

• If you are 18 years old or older.
• If you have a German identity card.
  Or if you are an EU citizen.
  This means that you have an identity card from another country in Europe.
  The country is in the European Union.
• If you have lived in the municipality or district for 6 weeks and are registered.
• If you live permanently in the municipality or district.
  That means:
  • if you are homeless
  • or live in emergency accommodation or similar facilities.
• If you are on the electoral roll.

You will then receive an election notification in the post.

The election notification says:

• Your name and address.
• When the election is.
• Where the choice is.
• How long the voting room is open.
• The polling room is also called the polling station.

IMPORTANT

You may also vote if you have a carer for
all matters.

How do you vote?

You can vote at the polling station.
Or you can vote by absentee ballot.

Voting at the polling station:

You go to the polling station on election day.
The polling card will tell you where this is.
Important: Take your identity card and
your polling card with you.
There are polling assistants at the polling station.
The polling assistant will give you some ballot papers.
The ballot papers list all the parties and persons
that you can vote for.

Then go to the voting booth.

The election is secret: no one should see who you are voting for.
You do not have to tell anyone who you are voting for.
You make your crosses on the ballot papers.
You may only make a certain number of crosses.
This is written on the ballot papers.

Then fold the ballot papers in half.
Only then do you leave the polling booth.
Show the polling assistants your identity card
and your election notification.
Then put the ballot papers in the ballot box.
This concludes the election.

If you need help, ask the election helpers!
The election helpers may help you.

You can also bring a friend or another person
to support you.
The important thing is: you decide who you want to vote for!
And your vote remains secret!
No one is allowed to reveal who you are voting for.

Voting by postal ballot:

You can also take part in the elections by post.
This is called postal voting.
You then send the ballot papers by post.

You will need your voting documents for the postal vote.
To obtain the voting documents,
you must fill out a form.
The form is included with the election notification.
You can use it to collect the voting documents.

Or you can return the form.
You will then receive the election documents in the post.
The election documents contain:

• the voting licence,
• the ballot papers
• and several envelopes.

You can also request the election documents online.

Sign the ballot paper.
Put your crosses on the ballot papers.
Put the ballot papers in the envelopes and send
the envelopes by post.

Important: Follow the instructions on the election documents.

It tells you exactly how to do it.
Do you have everything ready?
Then take the voting documents to the post office.
The letter must not arrive too late!
Otherwise your vote will be invalid.

You can also ask for help with postal voting.
The important thing is that you decide who you want to vote for!
And your vote remains secret!
Nobody is allowed to reveal who you are voting for.

Source/publisher of the text in plain language:
Representative of the Hessian State Government
for people with disabilities

Foreigners' advisory council elections 2026 in Rodgau

Information in simple language

Elections for the Foreigners' Advisory Council are held every 5 years.
What do the elected people do?
They stand up for people with a migration background in Rodgau.
They advise the municipal council.

The next Foreigners' Advisory Council elections are on 15 March 2026

Who can vote?

You can vote:

• If you are over 18 years old.
• If you have been living in Rodgau for at least 6 weeks.
• If you are on the electoral roll.

You will then receive an election notification in the post.

The election notification says:

• Your name and address.
• When the election is.
• Where the choice is.
• How long the voting room is open.
• The polling room is also called the polling station.

IMPORTANT

You may also vote if you have a carer for
all matters.

How do you vote?

You can vote at the polling station.
Or you can vote by absentee ballot.

Voting at the polling station:

You go to the polling station on election day.
The polling card will tell you where this is.
Important: Take your passport and
your polling card with you.
There are polling assistants at the polling station.
The polling assistant will give you some ballot papers.
The ballot papers list all the parties and people you can vote for.

Then go to the voting booth.

The election is secret: no one should see who you are voting for.
You do not have to tell anyone who you are voting for.
You make your crosses on the ballot papers.
You may only make a certain number of crosses.
This is written on the ballot papers.

Then fold the ballot paper in half.
Only then do you leave the polling booth.
Show the polling assistants your passport
and your polling card.
Then put the ballot paper in the ballot box.
This concludes the election.

If you need help, ask the election helpers!
The election helpers may help you.

You can also bring a friend or another person
to support you.
The important thing is: you decide who you want to vote for!
And your vote remains secret!
No one is allowed to reveal who you are voting for.

Voting by postal ballot:

You can also take part in the elections by post.
This is called postal voting.
You then send the ballot papers by post.

You will need your voting documents to vote by post.
To receive your voting documents,
you must fill in a form.
The form is included with the election notification.
You can use it to collect your voting documents.

Or you can return the form.
You will then receive the election documents in the post.
The election documents contain:

• the voting licence,
• the ballot papers
• and several envelopes.

You can also request the election documents online.

Sign the ballot paper.
Put your crosses on the ballot papers.
Put the ballot papers in the envelopes and send
the envelopes by post.

Important: Follow the instructions on the election documents.

It tells you exactly how to do it.
Do you have everything ready?
Then take the voting documents to the post office.
The letter must not arrive too late!
Otherwise your vote will be invalid.

You can also ask for help with postal voting.
The important thing is that you decide who you want to vote for!
And your vote remains secret!
Nobody is allowed to reveal who you are voting for.

Source: Adaptation of the text "Local elections in simple language", published by:
Representative of the Hessian State Government for People with Disabilities