Over 800 Objections Filed Against Federal Election Results

Despite the official announcement of the federal election results, the process is far from over. Every eligible voter has the right to contest these results, a right that many have chosen to exercise. As the deadline approaches, approximately 800 objections regarding the validity of the election held on February 23 have already been submitted to the Bundestag. This figure is significantly lower than the 2,198 objections filed after the 2021 elections but higher than the 275 objections recorded following the 2017 elections.

The deadline for submitting objections against the recent federal election is set for Wednesday, April 23. According to the Electoral Review Act, any eligible voter, groups of voters, state electoral officers, the federal election officer, and the President of the Bundestag can lodge an objection. Such objections must be submitted in writing and with justification within two months following the election. The Bundestag's Electoral Review Committee will deliberate on these objections, with the final decision resting with the parliament. Should parties be dissatisfied with this ruling, they can take their complaints to the Federal Constitutional Court.

For an objection to be considered valid, it must demonstrate that there was an error in the preparation or conduct of the election that could potentially influence the distribution of seats within the Bundestag. Experts refer to this as 'relevance to mandates.'

More than half of the current objections, about 430, relate to the voting rights of Germans living abroad. This issue gained prominence due to the shortened mail-in voting periods, which raised concerns that many ballots from expatriates would not arrive in time. The organization 'Mehr Demokratie' has launched a campaign highlighting these issues, asserting that the principle of universal suffrage was violated. They provide downloadable forms for lodging objections on their website, emphasizing that participation in the last federal election posed significant challenges for around 3.5 million Germans living abroad, making it effectively impossible for many.

The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), a breakaway faction from the Left Party, has also announced plans to contest the election results. The BSW garnered 4.98% of the vote, falling short of the 5% threshold needed to secure representation in the Bundestag. They believe that a recount could potentially bring in the approximately 9,000 additional votes needed for their entry into parliament. Previously, an emergency application submitted to the Federal Constitutional Court was unsuccessful, as the court directed the party to follow the established electoral review process, which initially involves the Bundestag.

It will be crucial to determine whether the Bundestag's Electoral Review Committee can identify any significant errors in the election's execution. If such errors are found to be relevant to the distribution of mandates, it could alter the composition of the Bundestag. For instance, if the BSW surpasses the 5% threshold, the anticipated black-red coalition may not maintain its majority.

Historically, most objections to election results tend to be unsuccessful. Often, the reasons cited for these objections are questionable. For instance, the 2021 federal election faced challenges based on alleged influences from satellite radar and biased media coverage. However, that election also marked a rare case of successful objections. Significant errors in Berlin led to the Federal Constitutional Court ordering the repetition of elections in 455 of over 2,000 polling districts. The court found that issues such as late openings of polling stations, interruptions due to missing ballots, incorrect ballots being distributed, and long wait times for voters were largely relevant to mandates.