More postal voters expected for Brandenburg state election

For the Brandenburg state election in around two weeks, there is a significantly higher proportion of postal voters than five years ago. “We currently have 356,000 applications,” said state election director Josef Nussbaum. That is almost 17 percent of those eligible to vote.

Before the state election in 2019, there were around 205,000 applications at the same time. That corresponded to almost 10 percent of those eligible to vote. “I think the trend is then recognizable.” Around 2.1 million Brandenburg residents are called to vote on September 22nd.

In the latest survey by Infratest dimap for RBB, the AfD was clearly ahead of the SPD with 27 percent, while the SPD was 23 percent. Both parties gained four percentage points compared to the April survey. The CDU came in behind with 18 percent, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) with 15 percent and the Greens with 5 percent. The Left Party achieved 4 percent, BVB/Free Voters with 3 percent. If a party or association receives a direct mandate, it can enter the state parliament, even if it is below the five percent hurdle.

Election polls are always subject to uncertainty. Polls generally only reflect the opinion at the time of the survey and are not predictions of the election outcome.

The state election officer expects that the preliminary result will not be available before 11 p.m. on election day, in order to avoid problems such as those in Saxony. “Accuracy comes before speed,” said Nussbaum.

There was a software error in the state election in Saxony. The calculation of the seats in the new state parliament was wrong. Brandenburg has a different election program and the results are being recalculated manually, said the state election officer.

In Dresden, ballot papers were also manipulated. According to the police, unknown persons had pasted over the cross that had already been made on postal ballot papers and instead marked the vote for the small, right-wing extremist party Free Saxony. The election workers have been made aware of this, said Nussbaum. “This will certainly not necessarily speed up the counting process.” It takes time, for example, to hold the documents up to the light again.

Almost 500 candidates are running in the state elections in Brandenburg. There are 44 different ballot papers in the constituencies. Brandenburg residents have two votes: with the first vote they choose the direct candidate in the constituency. The second vote is used to elect the state lists – that is, twelve parties, one political association and one list association.

The SPD, CDU, the Greens BVB/Free Voters and FDP are running in all 44 constituencies, the AfD and the Left in 43 constituencies. In constituency 24 (Teltow-Fläming II), the independent mayor of Jüterbog, Arne Raue, is running as an individual candidate and is considered to be close to the AfD. The AfD has no candidates of its own there. In constituency 36 (Elbe-Elster I), the Left direct candidate Monika Förster does not meet the formal requirements to run.

There are also direct candidates from the Plus list association of Pirates, Volt and ÖDP as well as the parties Deutsch Land Wirtschaft (DLW), Der Dritte Weg (The Third Way) – classified as right-wing extremist by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution -, Tierschutzpartei (Animal Protection Party), DKP, Die Basis, Demokratie Brandenburg and Die Partei (The Party). Die Basis, the Demokratie Brandenburg and Die Partei do not have a state list. The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) and the Werteunion (WU) are only represented with state lists. Around 100,000 Brandenburgers are voting for the first time. Around 27,500 election workers are needed for polling stations and counting.

There are aids for the state elections for thousands of blind and visually impaired people in Brandenburg. For example, voting templates can be used to fill out the ballot paper, where the contents can be read with the fingers. “It’s a piece of independence,” said the state chairman of the Brandenburg Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Bodo Rinas.