A repeat of the federal elections in many parts of Berlin is becoming more and more likely. As the online magazine “The Pioneer” reported on Wednesday, a new vote is planned in 440 of the 2,257 polling stations.
This emerges from a draft resolution of the election examination committee. The SPD, Greens and FDP have agreed on this. The CDU/CSU and the AfD want to vote against it. The committee wants to make a decision on September 8th, and the Bundestag will then vote in October.
All twelve Berlin districts would be affected by the re-election, in particular Pankow, Mitte and Reinickendorf. It is primarily about the second vote – with one exception: In constituency 77 in Reinickendorf, the election of the direct candidates is also to be repeated. Here the CDU candidate Monika Grütters prevailed with only 1788 votes against the SPD candidate Torsten Einstmann.
Concern is growing in the Senate and in the red-green-red coalition that the election to the House of Representatives will have to be repeated. In Senate circles, the “very likely scenario of a partial recurrence” is now openly spoken of. In the case of the Greens and the CDU, the possibility of a complete repetition of the election is also considered possible.
The opposition in the federal government also reacted. “The recommendation by the Election Review Committee to repeat voting in 440 polling stations is a bitter moment for the acceptance of democracy. And it’s an indictment of the capital,” CDU General Secretary Mario Czaja told the Tagesspiegel. He also thinks it is likely that the election to the House of Representatives will have to be repeated at least in part. “Then we will fight to ensure that Berlin’s unimaginative Senate can finally be replaced.”
The Berlin Constitutional Court decides whether the election to the House of Representatives has to be repeated. A public hearing on the matter is scheduled for September 28. In the oral hearing, the topics of “election errors”, “influencing the distribution of seats” and “legal consequences” are to be discussed. A decision is expected towards the end of the year. A new vote could take place in March.
However, the preparation for a possible redial has already started. The “Good Elections in Berlin” working group set up by Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) will meet for the first time on Friday. The agenda is in front of the daily mirror.
Among other things, the establishment of a state elections office and permanent district elections offices is to be promoted there. In the future, the polling stations will be set up by external service providers, and the ballot papers will be distributed by logisticians. The role of state returning officer, who resigned after the election, remains vacant. The office management has not yet been filled. A suitable candidate decided against it at short notice.
Election day in Berlin on September 26, 2021 was marked by numerous mishaps. Many people were unable to cast their votes in the voting on the Bundestag, the House of Representatives and the district assemblies. Ballots were missing or misspelled. In some cases, elections were still held after 6 p.m.
