Upcoming balloting in Europe - Despite the flooding, Bavaria's electoral official declares the election process smooth.
Even though there were a few issues due to the flooding, the European election in Bavaria has gone on without a hitch, said state election commissioner Thomas Gößl. The outcomes in the worst-hit places will still be ascertained at the same speed as in the rest of the region, he added to the German Press Agency on Sunday night. There haven't been any delays in determining the results, for instance, because of overwhelmed election officials and a shortage of them.
In the parts where flooding had happened, polling stations had to be moved in some instances because the initial spaces were submerged. In other cases, the local governments gave out new ballots with the others to eligible voters through courier services as the ones before had been ruined and wrecked by the water. The regions most impacted were Aichach-Friedberg, Augsburg, Freising, Günzburg, Neuburg-Schrobenhausen, and Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm.
Initially, it was uncertain how the limitations in the affected communities influenced voter turnout. The figures on the electoral district level weren't available on Sunday evening. However, a preliminary count by Infratest Dimap suggested that voter turnout in Bavaria had surpassed 64% on Sunday night and was considerably higher than in 2019 (60.8%).
In the perspective of state election commissioner Gößl, the planning for this European election in Bavaria, despite the additional work cause by the flood, "went remarkably calm and smooth, even in the flood-stricken regions."
The shifting of polling stations, for example, was well-communicated by the municipalities, so the state election commissioner has not heard any queries or complaints from voters yet. The requesting of mail-in ballots also went well, according to the early feedback. "We've had very few complaints that are above and beyond what's regular in elections," said Gößl.
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Despite the flooding causing some challenges, the impairment at polling stations in Fürth and other affected areas was managed effectively, ensuring the European elections proceeded smoothly. The new ballots distributed by local governments to replace those destroyed by the flood allowed eligible voters to cast their votes without delay.
Despite the flood, Thomas Gößl, the Bavarian state election commissioner, commended the smooth organization of the European elections, emphasizing that there were no significant delays in determining results or complaints from voters. The German Press Agency reported Gößl's satisfaction with the overall election process within the flood-stricken regions.
During the European elections, certain polling stations in Bavaria, such as those in Aichach-Friedberg, Augsburg, Freising, Günzburg, Neuburg-Schrobenhausen, and Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, were relocated due to flood damage. The German Press Agency reported Gößl's comments on how the municipalities communication facilitated the shift and minimized voter inconvenience.
As the European elections approached, Bavarian voters had to contend with the flood-related challenges that could Impact their ability to vote. Fortunately, despite the uncertainty around the impact on turnout, the preliminary count by Infratest Dimap demonstrated a significant increase in voter turnout compared to 2019, suggesting the flood did not deter voters from participating in the elections.
Despite the pressure and additional work caused by the flooding, Gößl stressed that the planning and execution of the European election in Bavaria went remarkably calm and smooth, further highlighting the effectiveness of local governments' responses to the challenges posed by the flood.
