Mayoral election in Bad Doberan: Jochen Arenz before decisive vote!

Mayoral election in Bad Doberan: Jochen Arenz before decisive vote!

A special mayoral election is scheduled for next Sunday, September 28, 2025 in Bad Doberan. Jochen Arenz, the independent incumbent, is running again, without any significant competition. This makes the election an exciting event, even if the election campaign will be fundamentally different from previous years as there are no other candidates this time. NDR reports that voters only have the option of voting for or against Arenz on their ballot.

Jochen Arenz, who was born in 1965 and originally comes from Düsseldorf, has been in charge of the city's fortunes since March 21, 2019. He previously worked in various social institutions, including the Johanneshaus in Bad Doberan and a nursing home in Kühlungsborn. His political commitment as a non-party city representative has made him very popular among the population, so much so that he was elected in the first round of voting in 2018 with over 55 percent of the vote. First seaside resort emphasizes that this election will be less influenced without possible opposing candidates and Arenz can concentrate on the opinions of the voters.

Electoral mode and requirements

For Arenz it will be necessary to win at least 15 percent of eligible voters, i.e. around 1,617 votes. There are only the options “yes” or “no” on the ballot paper; abstentions are not possible. A deselection is also conceivable if more “no” votes are cast. In such a case, Arenz will remain in office until March 2026 and city representatives will elect a new mayor after he is voted out. Laiv MV informed that only those who have German citizenship or the citizenship of an EU member state and have lived in the electoral area for at least 37 days are eligible to vote.

The election will depend on a high participation rate, which is necessary to secure an election victory. The local electoral law in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania stipulates that more “yes” than “no” votes must be cast for only one candidate. Voters have been able to cast their votes in the town hall since September 8th; the election offices open at 8 a.m. on election day and close at 6 p.m. Postal voting is also possible for all eligible voters.

Future prospects for Bad Doberan

Jochen Arenz has already initiated various projects during his term of office, including the planning of 106 new apartments in the old mud bath, 46 of which are intended for social housing. This shows his commitment to the city's issues and could be well received by voters. Whether he remains at the top or not will be seen on Sunday. As you can see, the choice not only has an impact on his career, but also on the future development of Bad Doberan.