New elections in Berlin: Chaos for postal voting and hot election campaign on the way!

New elections in Berlin: Chaos for postal voting and hot election campaign on the way!

The Bundestag election in Germany is closer, and the excitement for the procedure to secure the election is becoming increasingly noticeable. According to the Berlin state election manager Stephan Bröchler, the postal voting documents will only be sent from February 10, 2025, just two weeks before the election date on February 23. This tightness in schedule is due to the fact that the final election proposals only be determined on January 30th, which delays the pressure of the ballot papers. The challenge of this precise planning is described as a "effort", but Bröchler is optimistic that the election will run smoothly this time after the repetitions of the 2021 elections caused a lot of excitement, such as rbb24 reported.

The concern for the quality of democratic elections in the country is not unfounded. Bröchler advises prudence and warns: "We have to be aware that this endangers the quality of democratic elections." The pressure on the election organization is growing, especially before the possible new elections that are at stake. The debate about Chancellor Olaf Scholz's question of trust has already triggered heated discussions. Scholz could possibly provide this in December and thus influence a possible election date in January, which is considered too hasty by the opposition parties. In this context, the necessity is emphasized that all preparations for the election - from the search for suitable rooms for polling stations to the recording and training of election workers - are organized in good time, such as ZDF emphasized.

preparations and challenges

With the announcement of the question of trust by Scholz, the new elections focus on political events. If the talks have a quick appointment, this could compress the already tense deadlines even further. Bröchler emphasizes that the currently designed schedule already has several logistical challenges. This applies to both the recruitment of the volunteers and the material -technical preparations such as the printing and shipping of election documents, which are also crucial for postal voting.