More polling stations for House of Representatives election

For the elections to the Berlin House of Representatives and the district parliaments on September 20, more polling stations and more voting booths are to be available than last time.

More election workers are also planned, according to state election director Stephan Bröchler. The state election commission is planning to set up around 2,500 polling stations, a tenth more than in the 2023 repeat election. In addition, there will be postal voting stations, the number of which has not yet been determined. Each polling station will be equipped with four to six voting booths. Up to 40,000 election workers will be on duty, around 5,000 more than last time.

Voting on two referendums possible

According to Bröchler, a large number of ballot boxes, booths, and helpers are important in order to avoid long lines of people waiting. In addition, on September 20, voters may not only be able to vote for the House of Representatives and district parliaments, but also on up to two referendums. This would prolong the voting process. Whether the referendums will actually take place is not yet certain at this time.

Around 2.5 million eligible voters

Bröchler estimated the number of eligible voters for the House of Representatives election at around 2.5 million. In 2023, the figure was 2.43 million. For the first time, 16- and 17-year-olds will be able to cast their votes in the election. Another new feature is that first and second votes can be cast on a single ballot. Previously, two ballots were required for this in Berlin.