Error in Berlin Mail-In Ballot Distribution for German Federal Election
Background
On February 23, Germany will hold elections for its national parliament, the Bundestag. In the lead-up to the election, there has been a significant error in the distribution of mail-in ballots in Berlin.
The Error
According to Berlin’s Chief Electoral Officer, Stephan Bröchler, election officials mistakenly sent out duplicate mail-in ballots to voters in six districts: Mitte, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Pankow, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Tempelhof-Schöneberg, and Marzahn-Hellersdorf. Bröchler stated that approximately 800 of the 744,318 mail-in ballots issued so far were affected.
Consequences
The doubly issued ballots have been declared invalid and cannot be used in the Bundestag election. The affected voters will receive new ballots and corresponding election documentation.
Corrective Measures
To minimize delays, voters are advised to either drop their red ballot envelopes into the mailbox of the responsible district electoral office or cast their ballots in person at their designated polling station.
Regret and Accountability
Chief Electoral Officer Bröchler expressed regret over the error, stating that "it is very annoying because otherwise, preparations for the Bundestag election are going very well." He acknowledged the hard work and dedication of election officials working under the tight schedule imposed by the shortened election period.
Prevention of Future Errors
Bröchler emphasized the importance of preventing such errors in the future, assuring that lessons will be learned from this incident.
Additional Context
- The Bundestag election is typically held in September, but due to the resignation of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, the election was moved up to September 2023 and then shortened to February 2023 to avoid overlapping with state elections in Bavaria.
- The shortened election period has placed additional pressure on election officials, who are working diligently to ensure the smooth and timely conduct of the election.
- Mail-in voting is a popular option in Germany, with approximately a quarter of voters choosing to cast their ballots by mail.
