Should the city of Aachen participate in the bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games? The city council decided unanimously on Wednesday, January 28: This will be decided by the population in a referendum.

How does the referendum work?
Voting takes place exclusively by letter. All eligible voters will receive their voting notifications and documents between March 9 and 29. They can cast their vote until April 19. The results will then be counted on this day, as is the case throughout North Rhine-Westphalia.

Anyone who is entitled to vote in local elections can take part in the vote. This means: all EU citizens aged 16 and over who have lived in Aachen for at least three months or who otherwise usually reside here, who do not live outside the electoral area and who are not excluded from the right to vote. This means that around 185,000 people in Aachen are entitled to vote.

For the result to be valid, a minimum turnout must be achieved. As over 100,000 people live in Aachen, a so-called voting quorum of 10 percent applies. This means that if a majority is reached for or against the application, the vote is only valid if the majority also corresponds to at least 10 percent of those eligible to vote in Aachen. If a majority is reached and the voting quorum is met, the result is binding.

The bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games
Under the slogan "Our cities. Our Games.", 17 cities on the Rhine and Ruhr are bidding to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036, 2040 or 2044. Due to the globally unique local infrastructure, Aachen is to host equestrian sport in particular.

However, people can decide for themselves whether North Rhine-Westphalia's Olympic goals become reality: All local authorities involved in the concept want to hold council referendums, transferring the decision from the city council to the population (Section 26 of the NRW municipal code). The city council has now unanimously cleared the way for such a procedure in Aachen at its meeting on January 28.

Further information
olympiabewerbung.nrw