Everything you need to know about the communal elections

When does the vote take place?The vote takes place on the second Sunday in October before the end of the mandate period. This year it’s October 8. 

What is the vote for? Every commune has a municipal council with a mayor, several appointees and councils. The size of the council depends on the population of the commune. The same applies to the electoral system. 

Who is allowed to vote?Luxembourgers who are 18 years old are automatically entered into the voters directory. Even if they move and register on the Friday before the election in a new commune. For them, voting is compulsory unless they are older than 75 years old or not in the country on the day of the election. If they are not in the country, they must however justify their absence and ask for a postal vote. Foreigners, who have been living in the country for at least five years are allowed to vote, but have to register with their town's council by July 13. Once they register, voting is also compulsory for them. 

Who can be elected? In order to become a candidate, you must be at least 18 years old, enjoy all the rights of the citizen and have been living in the commune for at least six months. Foreigners are also allowed to be candidates but they must have lived in Luxembourg for at least five years.

Who is not allowed to vote? A person who has been sentenced to prison by a judge, a person who, on the basis of a prison sentence was banned from voting or who was placed under guardianship by a judge, is not allowed to vote. 

How many council seats can I vote for? Electors can cast as many votes as there are seats in their commune. However, they do not have to cast all votes. The number of seats depends on the number of inhabitants: if a commune has up to 999 inhabitants there will be 7 council positions to fill, if there are between 1,000 and 2,999 inhabitants, 9 council positions will need to be filled, if there are between 3,000 and 5,999 inhabitants, 11 council positions will need to be filled, if there are between 6,000 and 9,999 inhabitants, 13 councilors will need to be elected, if there are between 10,000 and 14,999 inhabitants, 15 council seats will need to be filled, if there are between 15,000 and 19,999 inhabitants, 17 councilors will be elected and if there are more than 20,000 than inhabitants, 19 councilors will be elected. The only exception is the city of Luxembourg with 27 council seats.

What is a "majority-commune" and what is a "proportional-commune"? The municipal elections are based on two different systems: the majority system and the proportional system. The type of system depends on the size of the commune. Municipalities of less than 3,000 inhabitants are have a "majority" system, there the candidates stand individually and parties only play only a secondary role. The system is different in the proportional communes, where candidates join together on lists. These are mainly parties, but sometimes also free groups. 

How to vote?In the communes with a majority system, the elector can draw either a cross or a plus sign behind a candidate. Maximum two votes are allowed per candidate. In the communes that go by the proportional system there is the additional possibility of blacking the circle above a list. In this case, each candidate on the list receives one vote. The voter can also distribute his voices to several candidates from different lists. However, he may not award more votes than there are seats to be filled. If a list of fewer candidates is available than there are mandates, the voter can also black out the circle above this list and distribute the remaining votes to other candidates. However, the voters do not have to cast all votes.

How are the seats distributed in the council?In the majority communes the seven or nine candidates with the most votes enter the municipal council. Here, a simple majority is enough. In the proportional communities, however, the seats are distributed to parties in accordance with how many votes the party received. For example, if a party got 25 per cent of the votes, they also receive a quarter of the seats. Subsequently, the seats are distributed among the candidates with the most votes on the list.

When is a ballot invalid?Ballots with more votes than candidates to be elected are not valid. They are also invalid if no vote has been given, if the size or form of the ballot has been altered, if a piece of paper or other object is found inside the ballot, or if the voter's identity can be recognised through a sign, a deletion or another legally prohibited feature. Invalid ballot papers are not taken into account in the vote count.

What are the deadlines? Foreigners who wish to register for the vote can still do so until Thursday, July 13, 2017. People can announce their candidature until one month before the election, so until 8 September 2017 at 6 pm for this election. The same deadline also applies to people wishing to apply for a postal code.

How are the election offices organised?An electoral office is responsible for 300 to 600 voters. In proportional councils the election is conducted by a president, six assessors and a secretary. In majority communes, an electoral office consists of a president, four assessors and a secretary. According to the electoral law, the President of the District Court has to assume the presidency of the district and cantonal head offices. He selects the presidents of the main election offices in the communes of his district as well as the members of his main office. All other posts are held by voters.

How does the vote unfold? Each elector receives a convocation letter shortly before the election, which he must also show in the election office on election day. The voters are distributed alphabetically to the election offices. There the voter must show the secretary his letter of formal notice or his identity card. The assessors then review the lists again before handing the ballot to the voter and assigning him a cabin. As soon as the ballot has been filled, the voter folds it up again, then goes to the ballot box, which has been placed in front of the President of the Election Office, and throws the ballot with the stamp to the president into the ballot box. 

And after the election? From 2pm the ballot boxes are opened and the votes are counted. Only when all the ballot papers have been unfolded and the voices added, are the results fixed. These are brought to the president of the main election office, who once again controls the results. Only then do the results go to the Ministry of the Interior, who then validates the election.

(By Eric Hamus. Translated from German by Barbara Tasch)