Polling stations across Luxembourg opened at 8am on Sunday and will close again at 2pm.The length of time residents and candidates must wait for results largely depends on the size of the town.
In 2017, Bech and Feulen were the quickest towns to count their votes. In Esch-sur-Alzette, the last polling station finished their count shortly before 10pm on election day. Only Differdange, Luxembourg City, and Pétange took longer. Votes in the capital were counted after midnight, in Pétange it took until 12.30am.
Since a recount was needed in Kayl, their result was only announced at 4pm the following day.
Even once the votes have been counted, it is not always immediately clear who will take over the reins for the next six years.
For instance, six years ago it took close to a month before the Democratic Party (DP) and the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV) signed a coalition agreement in the capital. In Esch-sur-Alzette, the CSV-DP-Greens coalition formed after 16 days.
The deadline to be sworn-in is 1 September.
Usually, polling stations are open to the public as long as the counting process is not disrupted. However, the president of each polling station holds the authority to refuse entry if necessary.
Voting in the municipal elections is mandatory, meaning all Luxembourgers aged 18 to 75 and all foreign residents who registered have to vote. Exempt are people who moved town after receiving their invitation letter.
However, it should be noted that no legal steps in relation to missed votes have been initiated since 1964.
