Great interest in postal voting in Berlin

The interest in postal voting in the upcoming partial repeat of the Bundestag elections in Berlin is noticeably high.

So far, 98,350 ballot papers have been issued (as of Tuesday), which can be used for postal voting. This corresponds to 17.9 percent of those eligible to vote, as the state electoral administration announced on Wednesday. In the election to the House of Representatives and the Bundestag in September 2021, this figure was only 14.8 percent at the same time before election day. The state electoral administration has been publishing these figures continuously since Wednesday.

Postal vote share of at least 50 percent expected

State election officer Stephan Bröchler expects an above-average number of postal voters in the partial repeat election on February 11. He believes that a share of 50 percent or even more is realistic. In the repeat election for the House of Representatives on February 12 last year, the proportion was 44.5 percent.

Apply for postal voting in good time

Bröchler called on people to apply for postal voting in good time and to return the corresponding red election letter by February 1 if possible so that it arrives on time. Anyone who has applied for postal voting documents but does not wish to return them by post also has the option of casting their vote at the permanent district electoral offices, which are available in all districts.

Election on the last day of the winter holidays

In Berlin, the school winter holidays begin on February 5. February 11 is the last day of the school holidays. According to estimates by the state election administration, many Berliners are not likely to return from vacation until election day. This is another reason why the proportion of postal voters, which has risen both nationwide and in Berlin in recent years, is likely to be even higher than usual this time.