Info for EU-Citizens
Did you know you can influence Berlin politics?
Why and how to vote in September
On September 26th Berliners will vote for the Federal Parliament (Bundestag), Berlin House of Representatives (Abgeordnetenhaus or AGH for short) and for the 12 district councils of Berlin (Bezirksverordnetenversammlungen or BVV for short).
As a European Union citizen you are allowed to vote for your local district council. And there are a lot of reasons why you should do it!
There are 12 districts in Berlin and their local councils decide what is happening right in front of your door. The district councils determine where to build bike lanes, which parks to refurbish and which social projects and NGOs to support. If you want to start changing your Kiez – this is the perfect opportunity. Have a say in what is happening in your neighbourhood!
And the great thing is: You need only one thing: Anmeldung (registering your address). If you are not yet registered in Berlin or at your current address, you have to contact your local Bürgeramt (district office) and get registered before the 26th of June. If you manage in time, you will receive a letter which confirms your eligibility to vote. That’s it!
How to get involved at Volt Berlin
We would love for you to get involved at Volt in Berlin and to help us grow our pan-European movement. You can become a member of our Berlin team or take part in shaping Volt in your home country – remote working makes it possible!
If you want to support the Berlin team but have only limited knowledge of German – no worries! You should become a member of our Europa Crew. Our working language is English and we are currently building a comprehensive range of information on how to get involved in Berlin politics in English and other European languages.
Contact us at berlin@voltdeutschland.org, on Twitter or on Instagram to learn more or to join us!
We definitely recommend EU citizens in Berlin to get involved in politics in the city and their Kiez. It’s your opportunity to shape the city you live in! You could join one of the many volunteer organizations or join one of the pro-European, pro-democratic parties. It’s also a good opportunity to get out of the “expat bubble” and get to know a few original Berliners!
What does Volt want to achieve for Berlin?
(excerpt from our election program)
Establish a multilingual welcome desk for newcomers to Berlin that will help you with all of the bureaucratic necessities when arriving to your new home.
Active & passive voting rights for EU citizens in the elections for the Berlin house of representatives (AGH) and referendums.
Administrative services that are easy to use, e.g. digital registration and administrative procedures (if possible also in English / in all European languages).
Smart City Berlin: support the Berlin start-up community.
Affordable housing for all!
Support the Berlin culture and club scene and protect it from being ousted from the inner city.
Promoting multilingual offers at adult education centers and thus enable lifelong learning.
Expansion of hybrid training models for migrants at adult education centers, in which integration courses are combined with in-company training.
We will provide our full election program in English soon!