German Federal Election: Key Information for Rhineland-Palatinate Voters
Eligible Voters and Participating Parties
Approximately 2.97 million eligible voters in Rhineland-Palatinate will have the chance to cast their votes in the upcoming federal election, choosing from 14 political parties with their second votes. Notably, this number represents a decrease of 6 parties compared to the previous election in 2021.
Voters will have the option to support the following parties, which hold seats in the state parliament:
- Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)
- Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
- Alliance 90/The Greens (Greens)
- Free Democratic Party (FDP)
- Alternative for Germany (AfD)
Additionally, voters can cast their votes for the following parties:
- Free Voters
- The Left
- Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW)
- Animal Protection Party
- Volt
- Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany (MLPD)
- Bündnis Deutschland
- Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP)
- Satire Party "Die Partei"
Election Districts and Direct Mandate
The number of election districts remains unchanged at 15, with the only modification being the renumbering from 197 Neuwied to 196 Neuwied. This adjustment is attributed to the redistribution of an electoral district from Saxony-Anhalt to Bavaria due to population changes.
In the previous federal election, the SPD emerged as the strongest party in Rhineland-Palatinate, securing 29.4% of the votes, followed by the CDU with 24.7%. The Greens came in third with 12.6%, and the FDP received 11.7%. Meanwhile, the AfD garnered 9.2%, while the Free Voters obtained 3.6% and The Left received 3.3%. The remaining parties collectively received 5.5% of the votes.
Latest Poll Results
According to a recent SWR survey conducted approximately a week and a half before the election, the CDU holds a significant lead with 33% of the votes. The SPD trails in second place with 19%, narrowly ahead of the AfD with 18%. The Greens have improved slightly, gaining 1 percentage point to reach 13%. The FDP, The Left, and the BSW would not be represented in the new Bundestag, each with 4%.
In the previous election, the SPD secured 8 direct mandates, while the CDU won 7. One particularly noteworthy electoral district is Kreuznach/Birkenfeld, where Julia Klöckner, who leads the CDU state list, faces stiff competition. However, in 2021, it was not Klöckner but SPD candidate Joe Weingarten who won the direct mandate in this district.
Redistribution of Seats
It is worth noting that winning an election district no longer guarantees a seat in the Bundestag. The number of individuals affected by this change is unclear, but it is anticipated to primarily impact the party that receives the highest number of votes. This phenomenon is more likely to occur in urban areas than in rural regions.
The allocation of seats in the reduced Bundestag will be determined solely by the proportion of second votes received by each party. Therefore, the final distribution of mandates and the number of district winners who will not gain representation will only be known after the preliminary federal election results are released overnight on Monday.
Number of Polling Stations
The total number of polling stations is approximately 5,500, although the exact figure is uncertain. "The federal legislature emphasizes that counting will only take place if there are more than 30 votes in a ballot box," explains Marcel Hürter, the state electoral officer. This measure aims to safeguard the secrecy of the vote. In the previous election, there were exactly 5,033 polling stations.
"In Rhineland-Palatinate, with its 1,600 municipalities with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants, the problem of small polling districts occurs much more frequently than in Saarland or Hesse," says Hürter. "If there are surprisingly only 28 votes in a ballot box on election night, the polling station will be merged with another one."
Approximately one and a half weeks before the election, there were 5,483 polling stations, of which 1,478 were designated solely for postal voting. Postal vote committees are typically formed at the level of local governments.
Postal Voting
Municipalities have received all ballots for postal voting and are in the process of mailing them out, according to the state electoral officer. The deadlines this year are particularly tight. However, voters can also choose to cast their postal votes in person at their local administrative offices.
Since the elimination of the requirement to provide a reason for postal voting, the proportion of voters opting for this method has increased significantly, as Hürter points out. During the COVID-19 pandemic, record highs were reached: approximately 61.3% of votes were cast by mail in the 2021 federal election. The large number of votes required in local elections has also encouraged individuals to take advantage of postal voting.
DHL recommends that voters cast their postal votes no later than Thursday, February 20, before the last collection time, or deposit them in a post office branch.
