From April 7 to 14, Leipzig residents with a history of migration can vote online for 16 members of the Migrant Advisory Council. The advisory board acts as an advisory body and interest group and, thanks to its right to submit motions, has the opportunity to independently introduce issues to the council meeting. Eligible voters can also put themselves forward as candidates for the election until 20 March.
All people without German citizenship and naturalized persons who are at least 18 years old on election day and have been registered as having their main place of residence in Leipzig for at least three months are eligible to vote and stand as candidates. Around 90,000 people are eligible to vote.
In the first election of the Migrant Advisory Council in 2021, the voter turnout was around eight percent; that was 3,467 votes cast. In November 2022, the statutes on the election regulations were amended by a city council resolution and the procedure was simplified. The 16 members to be elected are now distributed across eight defined regions of origin, with each region receiving two seats. In addition, the city council factions each send one member to the Migrant Advisory Board.
