Inclement Weather Poses Voting Challenges for Remote Hallig Islands
The impending federal election on Sunday presents unique challenges for the Hallig islands due to the harsh winter conditions. "It’s a significant hurdle for us," said Heidi Petersen, mayor of the islands of Oland and Langeneß. "Especially since it’s taking place in February," a time characterized by reduced ferry services and storm surges.
Petersen acknowledged the potential for severe weather, including "Landunter," a scenario where the islands become flooded, preventing residents from reaching polling stations. Nonetheless, a polling station will be set up on Langeneß in accordance with democratic obligations. "We’ve pondered it at length, but it’s essential," Petersen stated, expressing hope that the islands would be spared flooding.
Hooge, another Hallig island, will not host a polling station this year. "For this election, the polling station is located on Pellworm, as we lack the means to transport the ballots back to the office after the election," explained Mayor Michael Klisch. During the winter, only one ship departs Hooge for the mainland on Sundays, and only in the afternoon, weather permitting. Ferry services are also non-existent on Mondays. Given the distance to Pellworm, Klisch anticipates that postal voting will be the preferred option for residents. However, this arrangement is considered an exceptional measure. "Ordinarily, we hold a polling station on the island," Klisch noted.
On Gröde, the smallest of the Hallig islands with only 10 eligible voters, postal voting is expected to be the exclusive method. To safeguard the secrecy of the ballots, each polling district must count a minimum of 30 votes. Recognizing that Gröde would not meet this requirement, the island has been merged with another electoral district. "We can cast our votes at the polling station on Langeneß or vote by mail," said Mayor Tade Mommsen. Postal voting has become the customary practice on Gröde due to the inconvenience and weather dependency of accessing other polling stations on election day.
In the event of "Landunter" on February 23rd, preventing eligible voters on the affected islands from reaching the polling station, the election would need to be postponed, according to a spokesperson for the Nordfriesland district.
