(ATR)Residents of Hamburg and Kiel are casting their votes on whether the two cities should organize the Olympics in 2024.
The fate of the German city's Olympic bid will be decided at the hands of the people at the Nov. 29 referendum.Hamburg 2024 bid leader Nikolas Hill tells Around the Ringsthe city is already receiving some of the ballots by post.
In a statement released on Thursday, Hill added, "The dispatch of the ballot papers has ushered in the critical phase of the referendum. We are optimistic because we have repeatedly gained the impression that confidence in our application among the populace remains high."
The private company supporting the bid called Fire & Flames is including picture instructions on how to properly submit the ballot in the packet of information given to voters regarding the referendum. The packet includes details about the Hamburg bid as well as information from the opposition group to the bid No Olympia Hamburg.
"In the referendum, the citizens will also be deciding what image of our country we present to the world," Hill said.
"Their direct participation shows that Hamburg 2024 stands for the highest degree of transparency."
If the Hamburg bid can garner enough support by Nov. 29, the bid team consisting of 25 members will shift its focus towards delivering a comprehensive Games' vision to the IOC by the February 2016 deadline.
In order for the Hamburg Olympic bid to become a reality, 20 percent out of 1.3 million citizens must support the bid, the equivalent of 260,000 yes votes.
To commemorate the start of the referendum, Hamburg 2024 and German lighting artist Michael Batz announced plans to design a lighting installation with a beacon saying, "HH2024." The installation will be set up at Kleiner Grasbrook, the proposed site for the 2024 Olympic Village.
"How much more radiant will Hamburg appear in the peaceful glow of the Olympic flame," Batz said."I hope we all experience inspiring Olympic Games, with art as our guiding light."
This is only the second time the city has made a push to host the Olympics and the first time it has been selected by the DOSB as the German candidate. Hamburg was beaten by Leipzig in the competition to host the 2012 Games.
If selected by the IOC in 2017 over Budapest, Los Angeles, Paris and Rome, Hamburg would host the fifth Olympics in Germany and just the first since the 1972 Games in Munich.
Written byNicole Bennett
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