Deadline to Register to Vote in Municipal Elections Inches Closer

2023 is a busy election year in Luxembourg, with not just one but two elections on the horizon: the municipal (local) elections on Sunday 11 June and the legislative (national) elections on Sunday 8 October.

Luxembourg is a parliamentary democracy in the form of a constitutional monarchy. It holds municipal elections every six years and national elections every five years. In the past, this has meant that both take place in the same year once every 30 years. However, this pattern shifted in 2013 when the country held its national elections one year earlier following then Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker's decision to resign; the last time the municipal and national elections took place in the same year was in 1999. Like Luxembourg's national elections, the European (Parliament) elections take place every five years, with the next ones planned for 2024.

In Luxembourg, like neighbouring Belgium, voting is compulsory: all eligible voters registered on the electoral roll are both entitled to and obliged to vote. This might explain why voter turnout is comparatively high. For example, in the 2019 European elections, Belgium had the highest turnout (88.47%) among EU Members States, followed closely by Luxembourg (84.24%).

2023 will mark the first time that non-Luxembourg nationals residing in the Grand Duchy are eligible to register to vote and make their voices heard in the municipal elections (those with EU citizenship may also vote in the European elections but only Luxembourg nationals may vote in the legislative elections). Whilst eligible Luxembourg nationals are registered automatically, non-Luxembourgers who meet the following criteria and who wish to vote in the municipal elections must register themselves on the electoral roll (more on this later): legally reside in the Grand Duchy (including at the time of registration); be at least eighteen years old on election day; have not lost the right to vote in their country of origin (unless related to their move abroad) or in the Grand Duchy. Beneficiaries of international protection in Luxembourg (over the age of eighteen) are also eligible to vote. Eligible potential voters must register by 17 April 2023 (55 days before the elections) at 17:00 either online via MyGuichet.lu or in person at their municipality of residence (identification document required).

In addition to being able to vote in the municipal elections, non-Luxembourgish residents of the Grand Duchy can also run for election. In this case, they must have lived at least six months in their municipality of residence, be at least eighteen years old and present a special declaration in support of their candidacy.

At least five days before the elections, voters registered on the electoral roll will receive an invitation from their municipality indicating the date of the elections and the opening hours of the relevant polling station, as well as the list of candidates and explanations concerning the ballot paper. On election day, voters (who have not registered for postal voting) should head to their municipal polling station between 08:00 and 14:00, bringing along a valid identity document. Once there, they will be invited to make their choice(s) in a private voting booth.

Requests to vote by post must be sent to the municipality of residence at the earliest twelve weeks (20 March) and at the latest 25 days before election day (17 May for Luxembourg addresses; 2 May 2023, i.e. 40 days in advance, for addresses abroad). Such requests can be made either online via MyGuichet.lu or by post.

There are two different voting systems for the municipal elections, depending on the size of the municipality. Those with fewer than 3,000 residents follow the relative majority system: voters have as many votes as there are councillors to be elected to the municipal council. Municipalities with 3,000 or more residents follow list-based voting with proportional representation: voters can give all their votes to a particular political party, distribute their votes among several candidates on the same list (intra-list) or distribute their votes among several candidates on different lists (inter-list or "panachage"). The number of municipal councillors depends on the number of residents of the municipality.

Note that the municipalities are Luxembourg's only decentralised institution. The main actors at this level are the municipal council (directly elected by voters), the college of mayor and aldermen (selected among muncipal councillors) and the mayor. Whilst they have many competences, the main mission of the municipalities is to regulate daily life and to ensure safety, peace and good hygiene. There are currently 102 municipalities in Luxembourg, although this will decrease to 100 on 1 September 2023 following two mergers.

Various initiatives have been launched in Luxembourg to encourage non-Luxembourgish residents to register to vote in the municipal elections. These notably include a national campaign (I Can Vote) led by Luxembourg's Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region. According to the ministry, by the end of January 2023, just 11.7% of eligible non-Luxembourgish residents had registered to vote.