General information
Municipal councillors are directly elected every six years. Each municipality has a Municipal Council from which the College of Mayor and Aldermen, the executive body of the commune, generates.
The local elections and the formation of the political bodies of the municipality are governed by the amended electoral law of 18 February 2003 and the amended communal law of 13 December 1988, coordinated versions of which can be consulted on the legilux.lu website in the collection « Legislative, European and local elections », in the Communal Code.
Municipal council
The number of members of the Municipal Council is determined in accordance with the number of inhabitants of the municipality.
The Municipal Councils are composed as follows:
- 7 members in municipalities with a population of 999 or less;
- 9 members in municipalities with 1.000 to 2.999 inhabitants;
- 11 members in municipalities with 3.000 to 5.999 inhabitants;
- 13 members in municipalities with 6.000 to 9.999 inhabitants;
- 15 members in municipalities with 10.000 to 14.999 inhabitants;
- 17 members in municipalities with 15.000 to 19.999 inhabitants;
- 19 members in municipalities with 20.000 or more inhabitants.
The Municipal Council of the City of Luxembourg is composed of 27 members.
After the elections, all councilors have to take up their mandate by September 1st at the latest.
College of Mayor and Aldermen
The College of Mayor and Aldermen of each municipality is composed of one mayor and two aldermen.
However, the number of aldermen may be fixed, by Grand-Ducal decree, at:
- 3 aldermen in municipalities with 10.000 to 19.999 inhabitants;
- 4 aldermen in municipalities with 20.000 inhabitants or more;
- 6 aldermen in the City of Luxembourg.
The mayor and aldermen are appointed after being proposed by the majority of newly elected members of the Municipal Council. The Grand Duke appoints the mayors while the Minister for Home Affairs appoints the aldermen.
The mayors and aldermen take their oath of office before the Minister for Home Affairs. The mayor swears in the other members of the municipal council in their municipality.
Changes to the electoral system
For the local elections of 11 June 2023, 10 communes changed their voting system:
- 4 municipalities in which the transitional provisions concerning local elections (enshrined in the respective merger laws) expired: Helperknapp, Parc Hosingen, Rosport-Mompach, Schengen
- 6 municipalities crossed the threshold of 3.000 inhabitants on 30 September 2022: Beaufort, Bettendorf, Esch-sur-Sûre, Lintgen, Redange-sur-Attert, Wormeldange
In the municipality of Habscht, the section of Hobscheid already voted according to the proportional representation system in 2017, while the section of Septfontaines voted according to the relative majority system. In 2023, the municipality of Habscht has no longer been divided into sections and voted according to the proportional representation system.
Voting system in the communes in the 2023 local elections
46 municipalities voted according to the relative majority system in 2023, including the four municipalities that were merged on 1st September 2023, and 56 municipalities voted according to the proportional representation system.
Relative majority system:
Bech, Beckerich, Berdorf, Biwer, Boulaide, Bourscheid, Bous-Waldbredimus, Colmar-Berg, Consdorf, Dalheim, Ell, Erpeldange-sur-Sûre, Feulen, Fischbach, Flaxweiler, Garnich, Goesdorf, Groussbus-Wal, Heffingen, Kiischpelt, Koerich, Lac de la Haute Sûre Larochette, Lenningen, Leudelange, Manternach, Mertzig, Nommern, Préizerdaul, Putscheid, Reckange-sur-Mess, Reisdorf, Saeul, Schieren, Stadtbredimus, Tandel, Useldange, Vallée de l'Ernz, Vianden, Vichten, Waldbillig, Weiler-la-Tour, Weiswampach, Winseler
Proportional representation system:
Beaufort, Bertrange, Bettembourg, Bettendorf, Betzdorf, Bissen, Clervaux, Contern, Diekirch, Differdange, Dippach, Dudelange, Echternach, Esch-sur-Alzette, Esch-sur-Sûre, Ettelbruck, Frisange, Grevenmacher, Habscht, Helperknapp, Hesperange, Junglinster, Käerjeng, Kayl, Kehlen, Kopstal, Lintgen, Lorentzweiler Luxembourg, Mamer, Mersch, Mertert, Mondercange, Mondorf-les-Bains, Niederanven, Parc Hosingen, Pétange, Rambrouch, Redange-sur-Attert, Remich, Roeser, Rosport-Mompach, Rumelange, Sandweiler, Sanem, Schengen, Schifflange, Schuttrange, Steinfort, Steinsel, Strassen, Troisvierges, Walferdange, Wiltz, Wincrange, Wormeldange
Resignation
It is possible that a local counsellor wishes to resign before the end of his or her mandate. In this case, their resignation is given in writing to the Minister for Home Affairs. The Minister accepts the counsellor’s resignation. This approval is communicated to the concerned person by a simple letter and becomes effective three days after its signature.
The mayor of the concerned municipality informs the municipal council of the counsellor’s resignation at its next meeting.
The mayor or alderman who wishes to resign as a municipal counsellor must have previously obtained his resignation as mayor or alderman from the appointing authority. In the case of the mayors, the appointing authority is the Grand Duke, while the appointing authority for the aldermen is the Minister for Home Affairs.
Resigning mayors and aldermen exercise their functions until their successors have been sworn in.
Statistical key figures
In total, 1.121 local councillors were to be elected in the local elections of 11 June 2023:
- 100 mayors
- 222 aldermen (maximum)
- 1 municipality with 6 aldermen: City of Luxembourg
- 4 municipalities with 4 aldermen: Differdange, Dudelange, Esch-sur-Alzette and Pétange
- 10 municipalities with 3 aldermen: Bettembourg, Hesperange, Käerjeng, Mamer, Mersch, Sanem, Schifflange and Strassen, as well as Bous-Waldbredimus and Groussbus-Wal
- 85 municipalities with 2 aldermen
- 799 local councilors
The statistics on candidacies for the local elections of June 11, 2023 show, among others, that the percentage of female candidates has been 39%.
FAQ
Is voting compulsory?
Voting is compulsory for all voters registered on the electoral roll. It is not possible to be replaced. Postal voting can be granted on request.
More information:
The application for postal voting
If you are unable to take part in the elections, you must inform the territorially competent public prosecutor of the reasons for your abstention, together with the necessary supporting documents.
The model of the declaration of impossibility to vote
The following are automatically excused from compulsory voting:
- Voters who, at the time of the election, live in another municipality than the one where they are called to vote;
- Voters who are over 75 years of age.
Is it possible to vote by proxy?
No, no voter can be replaced.
What documents do I need to bring with me on the day of the local elections?
On the day of the elections, you must go to the polling station with your identity card, passport, residence permit or residence card.
Who is excluded from voting?
People are excluded from voting if:
- They have been sentenced by a judge to a criminal penalty.
- They have been sentenced by a judge to a correctional sentence and the judge has also removed their right to vote.
- They are 18 years old and under guardianship.
When is a ballot paper considered invalid?
The ballot paper is invalid:
- if there are more votes than candidates;
- if there are no votes on my ballot paper (blank ballot paper);
- if you cross out, write or draw on your ballot paper;
- if there is a sign on the ballot paper by which the person can be identified;
- if there is another paper or object in the ballot paper;
- if one uses another envelope than the one provided by the municipality (postal voting);
- if a sign is made on the neutral envelope provided by the municipality (postal voting).
For people with a disability, is assisted voting allowed?
If a person is visually impaired or lives with a physical disability, the presiding officer of the polling station will allow them to be accompanied by a guide or support person. If they are unable to vote themselves, this person has the right to tick the boxes for them.
One cannot be accompanied in the voting booth by:
- candidates for the election and their relatives or allies up to and including the second degree;
- holders of a national, European or municipal elective mandate;
- people who cannot read or write;
- people excluded from the electorate according to the provisions of article 6 of the electoral law.
A visually impaired person is entitled to a tactile voting model, provided by the polling station. A member of the polling station may accompany the person into a booth to help him or her insert the ballot paper into the tactile voting model.
The visually impaired voter is also allowed to cast the vote using the tactile voting model provided by the body designated by Grand Ducal regulation for this purpose. The visually impaired voter who comes to the vote without the tactile voting model may use the model made available by the polling station, which he or she must hand in to the president after voting. A member of the polling station may accompany the visually impaired voter to a booth to assist him or her in inserting the ballot paper into the tactile voting template.
Can non-Luxembourgish residents vote?
Yes, all non-Luxembourgish residents can participate in local elections under the same conditions as Luxembourgish residents. To do so, they must register on the electoral roll until 17 April 2023, either via Guichet.lu or at the local administration of their place of residence.
All information is available on the website Jepeuxvoter.lu .