(1) During general municipality elections and by-elections for re-electing an entire local body of representatives national minority candidates may gain mandates under preferential conditions if at least 50 per cent of the voters enrolled at the time of the setting of the election are voters of the concerned national minority.

(2) If no candidate of a national minority manages to obtain a mandate for mayor or from an individual list, it has to be determined how much votes take up the 2/3-rd of the minimal amount of votes needed to obtain a mandate. Preferential mandates will be awarded for those national minority candidates that have gained more votes than this calculated number. If a national minority has multiple candidates surpassing this limit, the candidate with the most votes shall obtain the mandate, in case of equality of votes drawing lots will determine the allocation of the mandate.

(3) The composition of the body of representatives as per Section 4 shall be supplemented with preferential mandates as described in (2).

(4) If a preferential mandate of a national minority becomes vacant, the next candidate in line of the same national minority with the most votes shall fill the seat if s/he has also managed to pass the required threshold as per (2).

(5) If the vacant seat according to Section 21 (1) gets filled by a representative with the most votes elected under preferential conditions, then s/he shall keep his/her mandate based on Section 21 (1) but the preferential mandate of the given national minority shall terminate.

(6) If the candidate of the same national minority gets elected as mayor or via a list, the preferential mandate shall be terminated.