Elections Office

The university elections are used to elect representatives to the Senate, the Faculty Councils and the Student Parliament. Every member of the University listed in the electoral register is eligible to vote and stand for election.

In the case of election to the Faculty Council, according to § 3 para. 3 sentence 1 of the Electoral Regulations for State Universities (BayHSchWO), the right to vote only exists in the faculty to which one belongs at the time of the closing of the electoral register. This is the faculty at which a member is predominantly active or which is responsible for the implementation of the degree programme in which the student is enrolled (Art. 37 para. 2 of the Bavarian University Innovation Act [BayHIG]).

The terms of office are as follows:

• for the representatives from the group of full-time lecturers
• for the representatives from the group of academic and artistic staff members and doctoral students
• for the representatives from the group of an academic and artistic support staff members

two years,

for the representatives from the group of students one year.

The representatives of the group of students are thus to be elected once a year, the representatives of the other member groups every two years.

The election bodies are the elections officer and the election committee.

The University's head of administration shall serve as the elections officer; the University's deputy head of administration serves as the deputy elections officer.

The election committee shall consist of at least five representatives:

• 2 representatives from the group of full-time lecturers
• 1 representative from the group of an academic and artistic staff members and doctoral students
• 1 representative from the group of academic or artistic support staff members
• 1 member from the group of students

The members of the election committee are appointed by the Senate for each election. The election committee performs the tasks assigned to it by the Bavarian election regulation for state universities (Wahlordnung für die staatlichen Hochschulen, BayHSchWO). In particular, the election committee decides on the minutiae of the election preparation and the election process.

Election committee 2023 [German content]

To fulfil their tasks, the electoral bodies may call upon aides (election assistants). Pursuant to Art. 26 para. 1 sentence 2 BayHIG, members of the University are obliged to take on electoral officer duties.

The election notice contains all essential information on the university elections. It will be announced by posting on the notice boards in the following buildings:

• Administration Building (VW, Innstrasse 41)
• Nikolakloster Building (NK, Innstrasse 40)
• Business and Economics Faculty Building (WIWI, Innstrasse 27)
• Juridicum Building (JUR, (Innstrasse 39)
• Computer Science and Mathematics Faculty Building (IM, Innstrasse 33)
• Central Library Building (ZB, Innstrasse 29)
• Catholic Theology Department Building (KT, Michaeligasse 13)

Furthermore, a digital version is published on this page.

Election notice for the 2023 university elections [German content]

Election nominations should be submitted separately according to the bodies concerned (Senate, Faculty Councils, Student Parlament) and groups

• Representative council for full-time lecturers
• Representative council for academic and artistic staff members and doctoral students
• Representative council for academic and artistic support staff members
• Students

The election committee examines the nominations and decides on their validity and admission.

All eligible voters receive a poll card, which gives information on:

• which group they can exercise their voting rights in and their faculty affiliation in the electoral register
• where and when the electoral register is put on display
• the election date
• the polling station(s)
• the postal voting process

All staff members of the University receive their poll card by e-mail, all students by Stud.IP.

Please check your poll card to make sure you are assigned to the correct group of voters and faculty. You can request a change of group assignment or faculty affiliation until the closing date of the electoral register.

All students exercise their voting right within the faculty that administers their degree programme.

Your existing faculty affiliation can be found on your certificate of enrolment, which you can view from the University's campus portal.

If a degree programme is administered by several faculties, the student is a member of the faculty that bears overall responsibility for the implementation of the degree programme the student is enrolled on. Students who are studying multiple degree programmes at different faculties usually choose at enrolment which faculty they wish to exercise their membership rights in. However, in these cases, students can have their existing faculty affiliation in the electoral register changed until the closing date. To do so, please submit the relevant Determination of Faculty Affiliation Form to the Elections Office – room N12 117 Nikolastrasse 12, 94032 Passau. You can download the form here.

Determination of Faculty Affiliation for Electoral Purposes Form

As a rule, staff members are assigned to the faculty in which they do the majority of their work. Staff who belong to the aforementioned groups and who work at multiple different faculties with equal time shares can apply for a change of their existing affiliation in the electoral register to one faculty by submitting the registration form to the Elections Office – room N12 117 Nikolastrasse 12, 94032 Passau. You can download the form here.

Determination of Faculty Affiliation for Electoral Purposes Form

Only those who are listed in the electoral register are eligible to vote and/or stand for election. The electoral register is prepared and maintained by the administrative units of the University of Passau. The electoral register is available for viewing at the Elections Office within the period determined by the elections officer. It is not possible to view the register by electronic means. The electoral register is closed on the 28th day before the first day of voting.

If you feel you should be, but have not been, entered on the electoral register or if your entry is erroneous, you can lodge a written appeal against the non-registration with the elections officer before the first weekday (Monday to Friday but not on Saturdays or on public holidays) after the closing date of the electoral register.

Any person entitled to vote has the right to appeal in writing against the entry of a person in the electoral register who is not entitled to vote. Again, this appeal must be submitted to the elections officer before the first weekday (Monday to Friday but not on Saturdays or on public holidays) after the closing date of the electoral register.

The decision on the entry or correction of the electoral register elections officer rests with the elections officer, who amends it when and as necessary.

Voting is also possible by postal vote.

For postal voting, you have to send a Postal Ballot Request Form to the elections officer. If you are requesting that the ballot paper be sent to you by post, the elections officer has to be in receipt of your request no later than 14th days before the election date. If you are collecting your ballot paper in person, you have until seven days before the election to fetch it from the Elections Office, room N12 117 Nikolastrasse 12, 94032.

Postal Ballot Request Form

Alternatively, the Centre for Information Technology and Media Services (ZIM) has set up a particularly convenient registration method for your postal voting ballot – from the comfort of your own home. Instructions will be sent to you together with your poll card.