Erfurt (dpa/th) - In Thuringia, the statewide mayoral elections in smaller towns began on Sunday. Polling stations open at 8 a.m. Around 210,000 Thuringians are called upon to cast their votes. 318 honorary mayors and seven full-time mayors decide. Polling stations close at 6 p.m. Around 3000 volunteers are working.
Particularly in the Saale-Holzland district (67 municipalities), in Eichsfeld (49) and in the Saale-Orla district (33) voting is carried out in a particularly large number of municipalities. In the district of Greiz, on the other hand, only 6 out of a total of 45 municipalities hold elections. In Nordhausen there are five and in Sonneberg two.
406 candidates applied for the offices. Most communities have only one candidate on the ballot, and 22 have none at all. There, persons who are eligible for election can be entered on the ballot paper.
