Back in June 2022, the Luxembourg Association of Cities and Municipalities (Syvicol) demanded that more towns should apply the relative majority system in the upcoming elections. The Association proposed to increase the threshold for the electoral system from 3,000 to 6,000 residents.
Minister for Home Affairs Taina Bofferding, however, believes that list-based voting with proportional representation is “more transparent”, arguing that it makes it clear which values individual candidates represent and with whom they are willing to cooperate. In conversation with RTL, the politician from the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP) further argued that with list-based voting, people still have the option of voting for individuals from different parties.
In light of planned municipal mergers, the number of towns applying list-based voting is expected to go up further in the future.
Read also: Here is all you need to know about the 2023 municipal elections
For Taina Bofferding, who is also Minister of Equality between Women and Men, it is of great importance that candidate lists represent Luxembourg’s society as accurately as possible. She noted: “We need a greater mix, which I think has clearly nothing to do with ideology. When we talk of women, we mean half of the population, not a minority.”
The Ministry recently launched a new campaign in which it interviewed around 60 women active in Luxembourg’s local politics. Excerpts will be distributed via social media in the coming months and are hoped to act as a final push for women who still have doubts about a run for office.
In several towns, the number of municipal councillors will increase due to population growth. These include Lintgen (from nine to eleven), Strassen (from 13 to 15), and Pétange (from 17 to 19).
Minister Bofferding used the opportunity of Wednesday’s press briefing to also present the most important dates of the municipal elections.
Candidates can sign up until 12 April. List numbers for both the municipal and general elections will be allocated by chance the following day. Foreign citizens residing in a Luxembourgish town have to enroll in the voters’ register by 5pm on 17 April 2023, which can be done online via MyGuichet.lu.
Although convocations will be sent out by 6 June, people only need a piece of identification when voting.
It is also possible to register for mail-in voting, which can be done from 20 March to 17 May. However, people living abroad have to register by 2 May.
