Last year’s federal elections in Berlin were marked by many mishaps and problems. Now the traffic light coalition wants to have the polls repeated.
Berlin – Wrong and missing ballot papers, long queues, hours of waiting and polling stations that stayed open well after 6 p.m.: The federal elections in September 2021 in Berlin were marked by numerous breakdowns and organizational problems. Now the traffic light representatives in the election committee of the Bundestag are pleading for a partial new election in the capital, reports the dpa.
On Wednesday, a commission of experts presented their results on the election chaos to the Berlin Senate, pointing out numerous deficits. The cause of the problems: an unclear distribution of responsibilities and the complexity of the election process, according to the commission. The effort of four simultaneous ballots was underestimated in the capital.
In addition to the elections to the Bundestag and the House of Representatives, the district assemblies were also reorganized. In addition, there was also a referendum on the expropriation of large housing groups in the polling stations.
Bundestag election: traffic light coalition wants to have new elections in Berlin
According to the traffic light coalition, new elections should now be held in 400 of the approximately 2,300 polling stations in Berlin. “Electoral errors of this magnitude must be corrected by new elections so that all citizens have the same opportunity to exercise their right to vote,” said Johannes Fechner, SPD chairman in the election examination committee Spiegel.
However, this traffic light suggestion caused astonishment: Federal Returning Officer Georg Thiel criticized the “complete, systematic failure of the election organization” in Berlin. He called for a complete re-election in six of the twelve constituencies, i.e. in around 1,200 of the polling stations.
Election mishaps: Berlin should be prepared for large repeat elections
The Union parties are also calling for new elections in at least six of the twelve Berlin constituencies. The traffic light proposal was “definitely not enough and does not even begin to do justice to the chaos in the Berlin elections,” said the committee rapporteur for the CDU/CSU, Patrick Schnieder (CDU).
However, the decision as to whether there will be a redial is still pending. The election examination committee of the Bundestag wants to vote on this in October, after which the decision in the Bundestag is due. The re-election could then take place in spring 2023.
“The city should be prepared for a large-scale re-election,” said the general secretary of the Berlin CDU, Stefan Ebers, on Thursday. “Despite all the warnings, the Senate has not yet made any preparations,” Evers said to Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD). (Constantin Hoppe)
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