German Bundestag Election: Election Details, Key Parties, and Key Contests in Rhineland-Palatinate
Eligible Voters and Political Parties
Around 2.97 million eligible voters in Rhineland-Palatinate can cast their Zweitstimme (second vote) for one of 14 parties in the upcoming Bundestag election. This represents a decrease of 6 parties compared to the previous election in 2021.
Voters can select from parties represented in the state parliament (SPD, CDU, Grüne, FDP, AfD) as well as the Free Voters, The Left, Sahra Wagenknecht’s Alliance (BSW), the Animal Protection Party, Volt, the Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany (MLPD), the Alliance Germany, the Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP), and the satirical party "Die Partei."
New and Reorganized Electoral Districts
The number of electoral districts remains unchanged at 15. However, some have been renumbered and reorganized due to population shifts. For instance, Neuwied 197 has become Neuwied 196, and this renumbering continues through Südpfalz 210. This change reflects a reallocation of an electoral district from Saxony-Anhalt to Bavaria.
Recent Election Results and Key Contests
In the 2021 Bundestag election, the SPD emerged as the strongest party in Rhineland-Palatinate with 29.4% of the Zweitstimme vote, followed by the CDU with 24.7%. The Greens placed third with 12.6%, the FDP with 11.7%, and the AfD with 9.2%.
According to a recent SWR survey, the CDU is leading in Rhineland-Palatinate with 33%, followed closely by the SPD at 19% and the AfD at 18%. The Greens have improved to 13%, while the FDP, The Left, and BSW are polling at 4% each.
In the Kreuznach/Birkenfeld electoral district, incumbent Julia Klöckner (CDU) faces a challenge from Joe Weingarten (SPD), who won the direct mandate in 2021.
In Kaiserslautern, Sebastian Münzenmaier (AfD) and Alexander Ulrich (BSW) will contest against Matthias Mieves (SPD).
In Neustadt/Speyer, Isabel Mackensen-Geis (SPD) will attempt to unseat Johannes Steininger (CDU), who previously held the direct mandate.
Seat Distribution and Electoral Overhang
The verkleinerten Bundestag (reduced Bundestag) will have its seats allocated solely based on the Zweitstimme percentage. Overhang and Ausgleichsmandate (additional seats) will no longer exist. Therefore, the final distribution of seats will not be known until after the release of the preliminary federal results on Monday morning.
Voting Districts and Mail-in Voting
Approximately 5,500 voting districts will be established in Rhineland-Palatinate, though the exact number cannot be determined until after the election due to a requirement to count only districts with more than 30 votes. This is done to ensure voter privacy. In 2021, there were 5,033 voting districts.
Mail-in voting has become increasingly popular in Rhineland-Palatinate due to the elimination of the requirement to provide a reason. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it reached a peak of 61.3% of voters. DHL recommends mailing back completed ballots by Thursday, February 20th, to ensure timely delivery.
Key Reminders for Voters
- Voters who have applied for mail-in ballots cannot cast their ballots at polling places on election day (February 23rd) without a Wahlschein (voter notification card).
- Standard voter notification cards are not sufficient after applying for mail-in voting.
