October 17, 2021 is announced as the optimal date for the first round of local elections. In that case, the start of the campaign would coincide with the last days of the census, but on the other hand, if a vote is taken a week or two later, most of the current mayors and councilors will already have their mandates expired.
According to the Electoral Code, regular elections should be called in the last 90 days of the term of the current mayors and councilors, but not more than 70 days before the end of the term.
Xhaferi says that half of the mayors had their four-year terms confirmed around October 18, 2017, and those who were elected in the second round in early November 2017. This means that the mandates of half of the mayors and almost all municipal councils would expire around October 18, 2021.
