The two groups exist simultaneously under the same name due to Bavarian election law not allowing umbrella organizations to run for office, thus the state party Free Voters of Bavaria was founded in 1997 in order to participate in the Bavarian state elections.

Numerous such municipal and district groups founded the umbrella organization of the Bavarian State Association of Free and Independent Voters (self designated FREIE WÄHLER, also abbreviated FW) in 1978, in order to agree on common goals and strategies.

Since election proposals under the Bavarian State Electoral Law can only be submitted by political parties and voters' associations, not by an umbrella organization,[16] in 1997, members of the local voter groups founded the association FW Freie Wähler Bayern e. V. with the aim of participating in the bezirk (regional) and state elections in Bavaria.

The purpose of the Landesvereinigung FREIE WÄHLER Bayern is, according to its statute, "participation at the political levels of the municipalities, bezirk (regional), state, federal government and Europe" (Article 1 (5)).

In the 2013 state election, the Free Voters defended its third place with 9.0% of the vote and 19 representatives from the party Alliance 90/The Greens Bavaria, which received 18 seats.

They are not especially close to any of the established parties, but represent, depending on the topic, positions considered classical-liberal (strengthening of civil and human rights, SME promotion, public budget discipline), conservative (increasing the number of security staff, stricter border controls, more deportations of rejected asylum seekers and less family reunification for refugees in Germany, drug control, promoting local traditions and dialects),[23] social-liberal (state general interest, equal opportunities in education, housing promotion), and green (energy policy, water management).

[24] This has often lead the Free Voters to be accused of arbitrariness or populism;[25] they justify their lack of a clear position in the party landscape by the need to operate a pragmatic policy beyond ideological determinations.

[26] They therefore emphasize their interest in cross-party cooperation[27] and demand transparent voting behavior from their representatives in the Landtag of Bavaria, according to their own statements (parliamentary discipline).

[28] At their core the Free Voters are fundamentally a coalition of independents, organized together for elections, which accounts for their ideological diversity.

Priority areas in Bavarian state policy since 2008 are the education and university policy (abolition of tuition fees and the extension of high school to nine years (abolition of the G8, or eight-year high school)), the promotion of renewable energies, the opposition of major projects (third runway of Munich Airport, deepening of the Danube river for navigation, second main line of the S-Bahn Munich).

[33] With the election motto "For a Europe of strong regions" (German: Für ein Europa der starken Regionen), the Free Voters sought to strengthen regional authority in the EU and have called for greater democratization of the EU processes, specifically advocating for a more direct form of democracy and deregulation.

[32] Like all German parties that reach the required threshold (1% of votes cast in the case of parliamentary elections),[34] the Free Voters receive a certain allocated amount of funding from the state that subsidizes their finances and costs.

In the interests of all parents and students, we want a reliable and fair framework from the North Sea to the Bavarian Alps and from the Saar to Frankfurt / Oder.

The Education Ministers of the federal states have failed in the past decades to make joint agreements that ensure sufficient comparability”.

[36] The Free Voters advocated for a return to a version of the traditional G9 system for Gymnasium (a type of German secondary school).

The argued advantages of such a system are that it would allow pupils an extra year to prepare for the state standardized leaving examination (German: Abitur) and ease the burdens students face during their studies.

[42] The Free Voters upon entering into a coalition government announced their support for CO2 neutral and renewable energy sources.

[43] They have also been in talks with companies such as BMW about electromobility as a method of combating climate change,[43] which is part of their broader goal of electrifying the public transportation system in Bavaria.

The Free Voters opposed a project of building large power lines between northern Germany and Bavaria.

[43] With regards to transportation, the Free Voters propose a diesel ban and support multiple measures to make automobiles more ecologically friendly, such as investing in electric cars.

[44] Owing to their origins as local community and political organizations, the Free Voters’ economic policy focuses much of its attention towards "strengthening the rural affairs",[44] says Aiwanger.

They propose extending and expanding services in rural areas by protecting preexisting hospitals and birth clinics,[44] while also erecting new ones.

Despite disagreeing with the Merkel government's handling of the European migrant crisis, the Free Voters are not against accepting refugees and asylum seekers, and advocate for their smooth and timely integration into Germany.

The party opposes the year-long ban imposed on refugees upon their arrival to Germany, arguing that it hinders integration,[46] "One should look at the individual", says Aiwanger.

[47] Their criticism of the Merkel government's handling of the issue stems from their skepticism of economic migrants, whom they see as not having valid reasons to seek refuge, and as such should be humanely returned to their home countries.

[48] The Free Voters also argue for the introduction of a points-based merit system for immigration based on the Canadian or Australian models.