I was in a local pub tonight and by chance at the next table were some politicos who'd been out trying to gather votes fro the Bavaria wide council elections on 2nd March. We got ito a wee bit of a light hearted banter and then one of them said to me (in English) "You're British aren't you?"

I replied: "Ja. Aber Wahlberechtigt".

Suddenly he was less confrontational and had that "I'm a concerned politician who cares about your issues" kind of look about him.

Given that some elections can be VERY close, to what extent are the parties looking for votes from EU Citizens?

Last time round I couldn't vote due to a loophole. Got a letter for the electoral register saying you don't have to do anything if you voted last time round (which I had). Then heard nothing more, phoned up and was told they had no record that I'd voted the last time, I should have registered, and it was now too late! Seems to be to be a case of "we hope they don't vote because they're not German" (and we'll do our best to make sure they can't through some kind of bureaucracy). If by chance you get through that and stumble on a politician, then obviously he's going to try to make out how much he deserves your vote!

Anyone know if you still have to officially register as an EU citizen or if you're now put on the electoral roll automatically?

I didn't register at all but last week 4 voting cards arrived for those of us over 18 in our household.

For the council it is automatic if you are registered.

For EU elections there was some kind of regregister unless you have voted here for the EU before except if Mary Pimmelbimmel falls on an even numbered rainy Tuesday in the year your Great Aunty was born then you DO have to re-register again. They managed to keep losts of EU Citizens off the list that way last time.

Just curious, MT, but what party did the politico with whom you spoke at the pub belong?

It's not a partisan issue but a general one.

I know there has been discussion in another party about using the term "Personalausweis" in election stuff as of course that only applies to German citizens.

Surely being in politics he is a member of some political party. That is what I was asking, that's all.

The CSU is doing a door-to-door thing in Unterschleissheim, the guys tried to introduce their program to me but I told them that as long as I have to pay tax but am not allowed to vote I don't want to hear it, thank you. But ...! they said to the closed door.
Scogs can vote and hasn't a clue but does get accosted on Saturdays when we're at the farmer's market. All the parties and the non-party groups set up their information stands and hand out their material. I was surprised to see that the CSU is handing out ballpoint pens with a rainbow design. Don't they know? Or are they actively going for the gay vote?

sarabyrd: according to my husband (who's german), that is a peace symbol here, not an lgbt one.

I have never in 37 years heard of the rainbow being a symbol of peace in Germany. In the past few years rainbow flags with "peace", "pax" or "pace" on the have appeared but I haven't seen one with "Friede" on it yet. In any political context the rainbow has established itself as the gay symbol. Matter of fact, I wouldn't mind asking for one of the pens and commenting on it. Should be fun.

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It´s a symbol related to the "Ostermarsch". But as pacifism in germany is quietly dying, you might not have seen that much of it.

Yes, you see how they all say "pace" but not "Friede".

"I have never in 37 years heard of the rainbow being a symbol of peace in Germany"

Mittlerweile ist die Regenbogenfahne zu einem Symbol von Friedensbewegungen in ganz Europa geworden.

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If it's grandmother in an anorak knitting yoghurt into a hammock or a rubber clad, tribal tatooed muscle boy dancing off his tits to cheesy Eurohouse it's probably easy to tell!

I saw that Die Linke have posters in the Westend with "We're at home here" in various languages. Not English but Spanish, German, Turkish, Russian, Arabic and some other Asian language.

Nice try, but your link is Austrian.