Surging Demand for Postal Voting in Brandenburg Cities
As the September 26th federal election in Germany approaches, postal voting has emerged as a popular option among voters in Brandenburg’s cities. While demand varies across different municipalities, several localities have reported significant interest.
Cottbus Experiences High Demand
In Cottbus, the demand for postal voting has been substantial. "The interest is quite high, as expected," stated Jan Gloßmann, spokesperson for the city. By the end of the previous week, approximately 17,000 postal ballot packages had been dispatched. The city anticipates sending out roughly 20,000 documents in total. "This aligns with our expectations and observations from recent elections," Gloßmann added. The current pace of returned ballots does not yet indicate a clear trend.
Frankfurt (Oder) Mirrors Previous Elections
In Frankfurt (Oder), the utilization of postal voting is comparable to levels witnessed in the 2019 elections. "As of now, the number of postal ballot applications is similar to that of the 2019 elections," remarked spokesperson Uwe Meier. The city remains uncertain about the potential for further growth in demand in the days leading up to the election.
Potsdam Witnesses Slight Decline
The state capital, Potsdam, has processed approximately 35,000 postal voting applications as of mid-week. However, this number falls short of the 44,000 applications received during the Bundestag election four years ago. The city projects around 40,000 total applications for postal voting, indicating a slight decline in this voting method. "We have observed a modest decrease in postal voting applications," stated Friederike Herold, spokesperson for Potsdam.
Urgent Timeline and Submission
Voters have only two weeks to cast their postal ballots, significantly less than the six-week period provided in previous elections. Completed ballots must be received by 6:00 PM on election day (September 26th) to be included in the vote count. Brandenburg’s Electoral Commissioner, Josef Nußbaum, strongly encourages voters to submit their ballots directly into the mailboxes at the designated address or to visit the corresponding polling station and cast their vote in person.
Voter Information and Candidate Details
Approximately two million eligible voters in Brandenburg will participate in the upcoming Bundestag election. Each voter has two votes: one for the direct candidate in their constituency and one for a party’s state list. The state features 132 candidates, with 60 individuals running both as direct candidates and on a state list, 85 running solely as direct candidates, and 107 appearing exclusively on a state list.
