Those Who Belong Must Have a Say: Symbolic Election for Voting Rights for All

Hundreds of thousands of Berliners are part of this city, shaping their neighbourhoods and their communities – yet they are not allowed to have a say in elections to the Berlin House of Representatives. With our symbolic election, we want to show why democracy needs voting rights for everyone.

On 20 September 2026, Berlin will hold elections. For the first time, 16- and 17-year-olds will be able to vote in the election for the Berlin House of Representatives. This is an important step – and yet hundreds of thousands of Berlin residents will still remain excluded from voting.

People without German citizenship cannot vote in elections for the Berlin House of Representatives – regardless of how long they have lived in Berlin.

People without an EU passport cannot even vote in elections for the district assemblies, even though decisions made at district level directly affect their everyday lives.

We want to make this exclusion visible – with a symbolic election for people without voting rights in Berlin’s Spätis.