Preparing for a Super Election Year in Brandenburg
Schedule a busy 12 months ahead for Brandenburg's election director Herbert Trimbach and the State Statistical Office. With approximately 2.1 million voters, the Brandenburg region will experience a whirlwind of local, European, and state parliamentary elections on June 9 and September 22, 2024, making it the third eastern German federal state to hold such elections in 2024 (following Saxony and Thuringia).
"Brandenburg will surely be in the spotlight when it comes to the AfD's performance in the elections," said Trimbach.
Security Measures
In light of fears of external interference, the EU authorities have provided the State Statistical Office with special instructions to mitigate potential hacker attacks, cyber-attacks, and acts of disruptions. Traditional, no-nonsense solutions like fallback systems using telephones for transmitting results and verifying their plausibility are in place to cope with unforeseen disruptions.
Voting Rights Expansion
16-year-olds will officially gain the right to vote in the European elections, thanks to a policy experimented with in local and state elections. This group was also given the opportunity to voice their opinions in Brandenburg, expecting a particularly high level of effort from the young voters participating in the local elections.
Election Organizations
Recruiting 27,000 electoral assistants to manage over 3,700 polling stations will be essential for the smooth operation of next year's elections. The election committees will receive compensation, while poll workers will be compensated at double the rate for the double election day in June.
Potential Newcomers
The possibility of a potential entry of a party led by former Left Party politician Sahra Wagenknecht remains in the mix for the election; however, certain requirements must be met, such as establishing a regional association and collecting 2,000 signatures by the deadline for registration.
While it remains unclear whether this party will make waves in the Brandenburg elections, the impending super election year in Germany has doubled the stakes beneath a veil of heightened security, innovation, and anticipation.
