Berlin will vote on the composition of the state parliament on 20 September 2026. (archive photo)
© dpa
The next parliamentary elections are still a year away. However, state electoral officer Stephan Bröchler has long since begun preparations.
"We are indeed in the middle of it," he told the German Press Agency. "We have several meetings with the districts over the next few weeks." For example, it needs to be clarified how many polling stations will be needed this time.
On 20 September 2026, Berliners will vote on the composition of the state parliament and the twelve district assemblies. For the first time in a parliamentary election, 16 and 17-year-old Berliners with German citizenship will also be able to vote.
"We are already in discussions with the printers on the question of how many ballot papers are needed," said Bröchler. The question of polling assistants also needs to be clarified. "We are currently assuming that we will need around 40,000," said the state electoral officer. "All of this is of course another challenge."
Those who have already helped in past elections and agreed to their data being stored are usually contacted directly by the relevant district electoral offices. The district electoral offices ask all interested parties to declare their willingness to work as election assistants as early as possible. First-time voters are also eligible.
The state electoral officer had already pointed out on Wednesday that there were still a few unknowns. This applies, for example, to the question of whether and how many referendums will be held at the same time as the parliamentary elections. Bröchler is prepared for the fact that there could be up to three referendums. In this case, the question arises as to whether the number of polling stations and polling assistants needs to be increased - if only to prevent long queues from forming on polling day.