Repetition of the local elections in Freckenfeld: Law threatened!

Repetition of the local elections in Freckenfeld: Law threatened!

In Freckenfeld in the South Palatinate, in the district of Germersheim, there is the possibility that the municipal elections 2024 must be repeated. This was necessary because the election in the past year was accidentally distributed for the neighboring town of Minfeld in Freckenfeld. A crowded ballot found its way into the ballot box and was sorted out as invalid, which resulted in significant consequences for the distribution of seats in the municipal council.

The Free Voter Community (FWG) would have received another seat due to the 16 additional voices resulting from the breakdown, while the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) would have lost a seat. District Administrator Martin Brandl (CDU) and Mayor Mike Schönlaub (SPD) consider to take the decision of the local supervision, which declared the election invalid to go to court. Such a legal dispute could drag on for a year or more.

Legal steps and decision of the local council

If the local council decides against a lawsuit, the election will have to be carried out again in September. The municipal council of Freckenfeld plans to hold a crucial session on Thursday, June 5, to advise on the lawsuit. This happens in the run -up to the Freckenfeld Kerwe, which is celebrated until June 3.

Similar to Freckenfeld, there were also problems in a local election in Michendorf, Brandenburg, when some ballot papers went out. In this community, which counts 14,000 inhabitants and is about 35 kilometers away from Berlin, the administration was only ready to provide 80% of the eligible voters due to the then low turnout. This led to resentment among the voters, which is why the municipal council decided to repeat the election in certain districts.

Short overview of local elections in Germany

Local elections in Germany, as are set in Article 28, Paragraph 1 in the Basic Law, in addition to the elections of the municipal councils, also include the direct elections of mayors as well as the elections on district days and district administrators. These elections are often shaped by local issues and usually have a lower turnout compared to the state or federal elections. Local elections offer citizens the opportunity to actively determine the parliamentary representations of their communities and to directly influence the fortunes of their municipality.

A particularly concise example of a deviation from the norms occurred some time ago in the Barnim district, where the software failed to calculate the distribution of seats in the municipal council. However, this breakdown had no effect on the occupation of the seats.

While the situation in Freckenfeld is further exhilarating, the citizens are challenged, their voice raised to protect the democratic process and the integrity of their elections.