Germany’s 2021 election should be rerun in parts of Berlin, top court rules

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - Germany’s 2021 federal election should be repeated in parts of Berlin due to multiple errors, the country’s top court ruled on Tuesday.

The Federal Constitutional Court said the election must be repeated in 455 of 2,256 polling districts due to multiple errors and disruptions that occurred during the election day.

The court examined the preparation and implementation of the electoral proceedings in Berlin following a complaint filed by the main opposition Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU).

According to the ruling, Berlin authorities failed to provide sufficient ballot papers and voting booths in several polling districts, which resulted in excessive queue times on a day with multiple elections. In several polling stations, voters were mistakenly given a ballot of another constituency.

Following the court’s ruling, the repeat elections must take place within 60 days, and most likely will be held on Feb. 11, 2024, public broadcaster ARD reported.

The results are unlikely to make any significant change in the distribution of seats in the German parliament, or endanger the majority of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government.