More voters had cast their ballots in Berlin by midday on Sunday than at the same point during the 2023 election, according to the city’s election authority. By 12:00 p.m., voter turnout had reached 27.9 percent, compared with 23.4 percent at the same time in the 2023 election. The highest turnout by midday was reported in the district of Treptow-Köpenick, while the lowest was recorded in Mitte. Around 2.5 million eligible voters in the German capital are being called upon to elect a new state parliament, with polling stations remaining open until 6:00 p.m.
Before voting began on Sunday morning, police reported acts of vandalism at several polling stations. In one incident in Schöneberg, the lock of a polling station was glued shut. However, the station was still able to open on time after election officials restored access themselves. Despite these incidents, police described the election day as running smoothly. “From our perspective, election Sunday in Berlin has been completely trouble-free so far,” a police spokesperson said. “We are very satisfied with how operations are proceeding.”
Berlin’s previous state election, originally held in 2021, had to be partially repeated in February 2023 due to numerous organizational failures. Problems included shortages of ballot papers, temporary polling station closures, and some stations remaining open beyond official voting hours. This year’s election is being conducted under normal procedures.
The first leading candidates have cast their votes in Berlin’s election for the House of Representatives. Werner Graf of the Greens and Steffen Krach of the SPD voted on Sunday in the Tempelhof-Schöneberg district. CDU lead candidate Stefan Evers planned to cast his vote around midday in Friedrichshain, while Left Party candidate Elif Eralp was not planning to vote publicly.
Berlin’s election for the House of Representatives has begun. Polling stations opened at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday. Around 2.5 million people in the German capital are eligible to vote until 6:00 p.m. to elect a new state parliament. Opinion polls predict a close race between the governing CDU and the opposition Left Party.
The Christian Democrats, led by top candidate Stefan Evers, most recently polled at 20 percent, while the Left Party, led by top candidate Elif Eralp, stood at 20 to 22 percent. The Greens were at 15 to 16 percent, while the SPD stood at 12 percent. Both parties could join the government if, as expected, a three-party coalition is needed. The AfD was polling at 18 percent.
The BSW is also fighting to enter the House of Representatives, having polled at four to five percent. The FDP, which failed to enter the parliament in 2023, was polling at no more than three percent. Berlin is currently governed by a coalition of the CDU and SPD. Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) is not running again following criticism of his crisis communication after a major power outage that lasted several days.
Housing was the main issue shaping the election campaign in Berlin. While the Left Party and the Greens want to expropriate large housing companies in line with the result of a referendum, the CDU and SPD are focusing on new construction. Antisemitism was also the subject of an emotional debate. Parts of the Left Party’s state association have been accused of hostility toward Jews.
At the same time as the House of Representatives election, Berliners are also voting for the district assemblies, which in turn elect the district mayors. Unlike at the state level, the threshold for entering these assemblies is not five percent but three percent. Voting is open not only to all Germans aged 16 and over, but also to all other EU citizens.
At the same time as Berlin, a new state parliament is being elected in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The election results in both federal states could also have an impact on federal politics.
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