Potsdam Residents to Vote on Mayor's Future in Upcoming Referendum

The citizens of Potsdam are set to cast their votes on Sunday regarding the future of the embattled SPD Mayor, Mike Schubert. The referendum will determine whether he will remain in office or be removed ahead of the scheduled elections next year.

With a total of 143,200 eligible voters in the city, polling will take place from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Many voters have already participated in the early voting process via mail-in ballots.

In early April, the city council voted in favor of a motion to initiate the process for Schubert's potential removal, leading to the decision to hold this referendum. Various city factions have accused Schubert of mismanagement, prompting the call for this vote. The mayor is expected to publicly address the referendum results on Sunday evening.

For Schubert to be ousted, a majority of voters must support the motion, with a key requirement that at least 25 percent of the eligible electorate participates in the vote. Therefore, voter turnout will be closely monitored, as political parties have made efforts to engage the public through posters, flyers, songs, and information stands.

As of Thursday, the election office reported receiving 20,850 mail-in voting requests, which is notably lower than the same period during the 2024 municipal elections, where there were approximately 13,400 more requests.

The referendum is estimated to cost around EUR250,000, with approximately 1,200 election workers set to assist on Sunday. If Schubert is removed from office, a new election would need to be organized within a few months.

The city factions are advocating for a fresh start in leadership, while the SPD continues to back Schubert, citing a positive assessment of his tenure since he took office in 2018. His current term is set to last until the fall of 2026.

Schubert has faced increased scrutiny following an investigation related to the distribution of complimentary VIP tickets for sporting events. Although the prosecution dropped the case after he paid a fine, a disciplinary proceeding initiated by the Ministry of the Interior has resumed after a pause due to the criminal investigation.

Critics within the city factions have accused Schubert of leadership failures, pointing to unfulfilled decisions made by the city council and citing issues such as long wait times in public service, challenges with housing benefits, and personnel shortages in the city administration.