Runoff election in Eisenhüttenstadt: AfD versus SPD on October 12th!

Runoff election in Eisenhüttenstadt: AfD versus SPD on October 12th!

The mayoral elections in Eisenhüttenstadt and Bad Freienwalde were decisively shaped on Sunday. Citizens had the opportunity to cast their vote, but as it turns out, the elections in both cities will not be decided without a runoff. The situation is particularly exciting in Eisenhüttenstadt, where the AfD candidate Maik Diepold received the most votes with 37.8%. Marko Henkel from the SPD followed with 26.9%.

Because none of the candidates were able to achieve the required majority of votes of over 50%, there will be a runoff election on October 12th for the mayor's office. In addition, Christian Friedrich from the CDU and Jens Vowie, who ran as an individual candidate, both dropped out of the race after receiving 20.4% and 14.9% of the vote, respectively. The voter turnout in Eisenhüttenstadt was 51.6% - a value that shows that citizens are definitely interested in the political developments in their city. This is in line with general trends in Germany, where voter turnout is mostly a measure of political participation, as [Statista] explains.

Election process in Bad Freienwalde

In Bad Freienwalde the race was less clear when it came to the distribution of votes between Frank Vettel (AfD) and Ulrike Heidemann (CDU). Vettel received 35.8% of the vote, while Heidemann was ahead by just 14 votes with 32.2%. Marco Terei, also as an individual candidate, achieved 32%, so that a runoff election on October 19th is also necessary here. The voter turnout in Bad Freienwalde was slightly higher at 54.9% and reflects the citizens' commitment to their local concerns.

These developments are not accidental. Eisenhüttenstadt, known as the “socialist model town” of the GDR with a still relevant steel industry, has a current population of around 24,000, which has a significant influence on the political discourse in the city. And while the AfD achieved its best result in the city in the federal election in February, the question arises as to whether this will also be the case in the upcoming runoff election. According to [stern], surveys and trends show that political interest among many citizens is increasing due to the recent election events.

It remains exciting to see whether voters in Eisenhüttenstadt and Bad Freienwalde can mobilize their votes to influence the political landscape of their cities. Runoff elections are a sign of citizen engagement and show that every vote counts. Participation in such elections could be a further step towards active political participation of citizens.