In the shadow of the state elections, the citizens of Bavaria also chose the new district assemblies on Sunday. When counting the votes, the state parliament naturally had priority, so by late Sunday evening there were still no results for the district assemblies in the seven administrative districts of the Free State.
The district assemblies are less prominent and well-known than the state parliament. In addition to the municipalities or cities and the rural districts, the districts form the third municipal level in Bavaria.
The district councils were elected according to the same principle as in the federal and state parliaments: voters had one vote for a direct candidate and one list vote. However, there is no five percent hurdle, so parties with a lower share of the vote can also enter the district council. In 2018, the CSU won the most seats in all seven administrative districts. Traditionally, many local politicians who are already active in the cities and districts as district administrators, mayors or city councilors were on the ballot papers for the district elections.
The seven districts in the Free State primarily fulfill social tasks and, for example, have district clinics with a focus on psychiatric and neurological treatment. But they also take care of the areas of culture, local heritage, education and the environment. They are also involved in the areas of fishing and agriculture and maintain educational institutions for training and further education in this area.
According to the umbrella association, the Bavarian District Association, the budget volume of all seven districts in 2021 was 6.3 billion euros. Of this, 5.7 billion euros were spent on social benefits, or around 91 percent. The money for the districts comes from levies paid by the districts and independent cities and from the Free State as part of the municipal financial equalization.
State Office of Statistics on district elections Bavarian District Council Information from the Ministry of the Interior on state and district elections Information brochure on the tasks of the districts
