Rostock district council: voting cards ADE - electronic coordination comes!

Rostock district council: voting cards ADE - electronic coordination comes!

In the district of Rostock, fresh changes in the political landscape are facing. The district council decided that there will soon be no voice cards. Instead, the vote will be recorded electronically in the future. This should not only increase transparency, but also increase the efficiency of the votes. The decision, which was taken on Wednesday evening with a large majority, is based on an application by the AfD, which the administration has approved positively. This requires investments of around 20,000 euros, which represents a significant saving compared to the estimated 32,000 euros, including at the request of the Greens, which require a portable system for the two district council locations in Bad Doberan and Güstrow.

The electronic coordination now faster and secret votes. This is particularly advantageous in the event of narrow voting results, since the counting is eliminated and the sessions overall become shorter. These changes are part of a larger trend towards digitization and citizen participation in Germany. Current developments and projects show that digital channels are becoming increasingly important in order to actively integrate citizens into political processes.

live streaming for more closeness to the citizens

In a further step to promote citizen participation, the meeting of the district council on June 29 is transferred for the first time by live stream. This enables the residents to pursue in real time how the district council members discuss and coordinate on current topics. District Administrator Sebastian Constien emphasizes the importance of the digital channels for citizen participation and sees this live stream a chance for people who cannot take part in the meetings due to mobility restrictions or temporal hurdles. The test project for the live broadcast is initially created for six district meetings to check how well this new offer is accepted. This goes hand in hand with the decision to introduce digital votes, which was already caught on June 16, 2021.

Such an engagement in digital participation is not an isolated case in Germany. The trend to actively involve citizens in political decisions has been observed since the turn of the millennium. More and more municipalities are offering platforms for community budgets, which promotes the participation of citizens in political processes. The use of digital means to support democracy, such as e-democracy, e-government and e-participation, shows that the opportunities for political participation are continuously expanded.

transparency through digitization

This endeavor to facilitate participation is also supported by the discussion about transparent data and open government. However, an investigation shows that there is still a digital gap in Germany that influences access to these offers. While 98.7% of households have at least one internet connection of 1 Mbit/s, rural areas are often worse. So there is a challenge to bridge these differences and enable all citizens to access digital formats.

The recent commitment of the district council in the Rostock district is a step in the right direction that shows that digital politics in Germany is in the starting blocks. The combination of electronic coordination and digital transmissions will undoubtedly contribute to strengthening the proximity and transparency. Step by step, the political events become more tangible and accessible to all citizens - a good step into the future!

For more information about the changes in the district council, you can find the details at NDR and Landkreis-rostock.de/de/Pressemitteigung/kreiertsatung-werd-erstmals-im-live-stream-ueberrift.html"> Read the Rostock district. For deeper information on digital politics, the Federal Center for Political Education