BERLIN (AP) — The city of Berlin on Sunday held a court-ordered rerun of a chaotic 2021 state election that was marred by severe glitches at many polling stations and hours-long lines as some polling places ran out of ballot papers or received ones for the wrong district.
Berliners have long been frustrated by the German capital’s notoriously dysfunctional administration, which has defied cliches of German efficiency for years and made the city the laughing stock of the rest of the country.
The Constitutional Court of Berlin, one of three German cities that is also a state in its own right, declared the original vote invalid in November. It said a partial rerun wouldn’t be enough “in view of the large number and severity of the election errors.”
The decision followed complaints by several political parties and government entities over the Sept. 26, 2021, election for the state legislature.
Berlin held four votes that day: the state election, an election for the city’s 12 district assemblies, the German national election and a local referendum. The Berlin Marathon also took place the same day, added to the logistical difficulties.
Long lines formed outside many polling stations as voters struggled with extra ballot papers. Some polling stations ran out of ballots during the day, and others received ones for the wrong district, leading to a large number of invalidated votes.
Another issue was the election was supposed to end at 6 p.m., but voters waiting in line at that hour were allowed to cast their ballots even after the results of exit polls were made public.
The head of an international delegation of election observers said Sunday’s repeated election appeared to be well-organized and proceeding smoothly.
“We are very satisfied with what we have seen,” Vladimir Prebilic, the head of the Council of Europe delegation, told German news agency dpa.
Franziska Giffey, who belongs to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats, was elected as Berlin’s mayor in 2021, and has led the city in a three-party left-wing governing coalition. The 44-year-old was running again Sunday.
The Green Party’s top candidate is Environment and Mobility Senator Bettina Jarasch. Klaus Lederer, the senator for culture, is the Left Party candidate. Both parties currently coalition partners in Giffey’s government.
Kai Wegner is the top candidate of the center-right Christian Democratic Union, which had a lead in preelection polls.
The polling estimates leave open who will become Berlin’s next mayor as several different coalition options are possible.
Among the most pressing issues is the city’s housing market. Rising rents and a housing shortage have made affordable living in the city center almost impossible for many middle-class families.
Berliners would also like to see an end to some of their city’s frustrations.
Among the most teeth-grinding issues are the much-delayed opening of the city’s airport and the near impossibility of getting an appointment with the city’s citizen centers to apply for a wedding license, register after a move or apply for a new passport.
The city’s school system is known for its notoriously dilapidated buildings and students who regularly rank at the bottom of the national scores when it comes to reading, math and other subjects.
Yet, despite the many complaints, the city’s 3.6 million residents also love their city which is praised for its tolerance, buzzing culture and night-life scene, and diversity.
Around 2.4 million people are eligible to vote in the rerun, according to the German news agency dpa.
