Potsdam votes: Seven candidates are fighting for the mayor's office!

Potsdam votes: Seven candidates are fighting for the mayor's office!

The election campaign for the office of mayor begins in Potsdam, and a lot is happening! On September 21st, the city's citizens will vote and thus decide on the new city leader. The former SPD mayor Mike Schubert, who was successful in the runoff in the last election, was voted out and is causing a lot of talk. Around 143,000 eligible voters are about to vote and can choose between seven candidates who are either nominated by parties or running as individual candidates. The election committee will decide on Thursday whether the applicants will be admitted, so that the election posters for the election campaign that has begun can then be hung. Loud MZ Returning officer Tolksdorf expects a high probability that there will be a runoff election. This is necessary if no candidate can achieve an absolute majority of 50 percent in the first round of voting.

Political expert Werner Krause considers the situation to be extremely exciting. The allegations surrounding Schubert's term in office, which range from mismanagement to an infamy affair over free tickets, could harm the SPD. The city of Potsdam is considered a stronghold of the SPD; it has been the city's leader continuously since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Schubert was voted out of office in a referendum in May, which underlines the mixed mood in the election campaign.

Candidates at a glance

This year the following candidates are in the running:

• Severin Fischer (SPD)
• Clemens Viehrig (CDU)
• Noosha Aubel (parteilos, unterstützt von Grünen/Die Andere)
• Dirk Harder (parteilos, tritt für die Linke an)
• Chaled-Uwe Said (AfD)
• Michael Richter (Freie Wähler)
• Alexander Dietmar Wietschel (Die Partei)

Experience shows that high voter turnout is crucial. In 2018 this was 53 percent, but the trend in runoff elections was often significantly lower, below 40 percent. In the current situation, the question arises as to how well the parties can mobilize their voters, since the election campaign falls during the summer holidays. This year's election is taking place a year earlier than originally planned, which poses additional challenges for the candidates.

The importance of voter participation

In general, high voter turnout is very important. Voter turnout in the 2021 federal election was 76.6%, which represents a slight decrease compared to previous years. Loud Statista Recent studies show that older voters, especially those over 70, participate more actively in elections. It is clear that mobilizing young voters becomes even more important as voter turnout among under-20s declines compared to older age groups.

On September 21st we will see which of the candidates can win the trust of Potsdam voters and whether we can look forward to an exciting runoff election. It's time to keep your fingers crossed and be well informed so that you can cast your vote effectively!