Potsdam elects new mayor: candidates and deadlines in focus!

Potsdam elects new mayor: candidates and deadlines in focus!

On September 21, 2025, the citizens of Potsdam will be able to elect their new city leader. The election takes place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is considered one of the most important municipal elections in the city. Around 145,000 eligible voters who are older than 16 years, have their main residence in Potsdam and have German or EU citizenship can cast their votes. This reports maz-online.de.

After the former mayor Mike Schubert (SPD) was voted out in May 2025, which required a new election within five months, a diverse range of candidates are now standing for election. These include Severin Fischer (SPD), Noosha Aubel (independent), Willo Göpel (CDU) and Chaled-Uwe Said (AfD). In addition, the individual applicants Bernd Blase, a 61-year-old management consultant, and the nurse Jörn Karlipp are competing. The deadline for submitting nominations is July 17, 2025, which not only means a tight schedule for the candidates, but also for voters who should get a first impression.

Candidates and participation

A total of around 143,000 eligible voters are invited to take part in the election. A major focus is on voter turnout, which has often been low in the past. Loud political-education-brandenburg.de In recent elections, less than half of the citizens often took part. Reasons for this include insufficient information about the candidates and their programs and a lack of time for personal meetings.

An absolute majority of 50 percent of the votes is necessary to be directly elected. If this is not successful in the first round, a runoff election will take place on October 12, 2025. This regulation is part of the Brandenburg Local Elections Act, which also applies to the current election.

Important deadlines and rules

Those nominated for election who do not sit in the city parliament, the Brandenburg state parliament or the Bundestag must collect at least 112 signatures of support from Potsdam residents who are eligible to vote in order to be able to take part in the election. This represents an additional challenge for some candidates. Mayor Burkhard Exner will continue to manage the business until the office is handed over to the new mayor.

Further information about the upcoming mayoral election is available on the official website of the city of Potsdam, which also provides details about the election and the candidates. It remains to be seen how voters will decide and whether voter turnout will increase this year.