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Munich decides: Olympic bid with historic referendum!
On October 26, 2025, 1.1 million Munich residents will vote on the 2036-2044 Olympic bid. High voter turnout expected.
Munich decides: Olympic bid with historic referendum!
This Sunday, October 26, 2025, Munich will be marked by a decision: citizens are asked to vote on the application for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036, 2040 or 2044. Loud South Germans There is already a high voter turnout, which is a sign of the great interest of Munich residents in this issue.
A third of eligible voters, totaling over 1.1 million, used postal voting. The spokeswoman for the district administration department confirmed this approval two hours after the polling stations opened. In view of this positive trend and the high number of postal voters, which exceeded the required limit by more than ten percent, there are no longer any doubts about the legal force of the referendum.
Background and arguments
For the first time, the authorities sent unsolicited postal voting documents to all eligible voters. This shows how important citizen participation is to those responsible. The voting question is: “Are you in favor of the state capital Munich applying for the Summer Olympics and Paralympics, which will take place in either 2036, 2040 or 2044?” Here citizens can vote “yes” or “no”. According to daily news A majority of at least ten percent of those eligible to vote is required to receive a “yes” vote.
As far as opinions are concerned, the city could benefit from positive urban development through the games. Proponents argue that the Olympics could spur projects such as expanding local transportation and building 4,000 homes in the Olympic Village. But resistance can also be felt: opponents warn of land sealing, rising rents and high costs that could run into billions. Critics such as the Green Party politician Ludwig Hartmann reject the IOC's existing “gag agreements,” which leave profits with the committee and at the same time demand tax exemption for the host country.
The big comparison
A look at voter turnout so far shows that participation in the referendum in Munich could potentially be the highest since 2001. At that time, the highest participation rate was 37.5 percent in the referendum to build the FC Bayern stadium, while the lowest was only 5.5 percent and did not gain legal force. However, by 10 a.m. voter turnout at the polling stations was only 0.5 percent, indicating that the postal voters' votes were still outstanding.
Exactly how voting works is also clear: In Munich, 106 voting rooms are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and citizens can also cast their votes with a voting slip and valid ID. The results are expected on Mercury published.
The decision as to whether Munich should apply for the Olympic Games ultimately rests in the hands of the citizens. Mayor Dieter Reiter emphasizes how crucial broad social support is for the application, while other cities in Germany, such as Berlin and Hamburg, are also discussing possible Olympic bids. In this exciting time, it remains to be seen how the people of Munich will assess the project.