Rostock (dpa/mv) - In Rostock, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's largest city, around 172,000 eligible voters are called on Sunday (from 8 a.m.) to elect a new mayor. There are 17 candidates, including five women and twelve men. Polling stations open at 8 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. Reliable results are expected between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Voters aged 16 and over are entitled to vote. There are 4700 first time voters.
If none of the 17 applicants achieve an absolute majority in the first round, there will be a runoff between the top two places on November 27th. The office is awarded for seven years. The election was necessary because the previous incumbent, Claus Ruhe Madsen, moved to Schleswig-Holstein as Economics Minister in June in the cabinet of Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU).
