- Examining alleged electoral deceit in Saxony: What dimension does the issue hold?
In Dresden, unidentified individuals concealed the voter-placed crosses and substituted them with crosses representing the smallest party "Freie Sachsen," labeled by the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz as a right-wing extremist endeavor. According to a declaration from the Saxon police, around 130 ballot papers were uncovered in voting districts in Dresden, Radeberg, and Bautzen. The Landesamt für Verfassungsschutz has assumed responsibility for the investigation.
Now, the election in Saxony is being overshadowed by allegations of corruption. Answers to the most crucial questions.
What constitutes election corruption?
The parameters of election corruption are outlined in Section 107a, Paragraph 1 of the Strafgesetzbuch. It's a criminal offense to unlawfully vote or intentionally alter the election results or manipulate the outcome. This also covers instances where someone, within legal boundaries, votes against a voter's choice or without explicit voter approval.
Anyone who violates this provision is liable for a fine or imprisonment of up to five years. The attempt is also punishable.
How did the issues in Dresden emerge?
The Dresden police informed stern that anomalies were detected during the tabulation of ballot papers by workers of the state capital. According to a report in the "Sächsische Zeitung", manipulated ballot papers were initially discovered in two voting districts. "This suspicion has materialized in relation to voting districts 36011 and 36012," a spokesperson for the city of Dresden informed the newspaper. The two voting districts are located in Langebrück, in the northern part of Dresden. Further irregularities were later discovered in other districts.
In voting district 36012, the "Freie Sachsen" party achieved a remarkable result, garnering 10.2% each from direct and list votes, amounting to 119 votes in total. In the state election, the minor party secured 2.2% of the votes. As reported by Bild, employees of nursing homes and postmen are under investigation as potential perpetrators in Dresden. The police have yet to confirm this.
How prevalent is election corruption in Germany?
Exceptionally rare. A spokesperson for the Bundeskriminalamt informed stern that election corruption is such a minor issue in Germany that it's not separately listed in the Polizeikriminalstatistik. "Election corruption is not a problem in Germany," the spokesperson asserted.
Currently, there are rumors of approximately 130 manipulated ballot papers in Saxony, where authorities have identified attempted manipulation. A total of around 2.37 million votes were cast in the state election on Sunday.
Should voters be concerned?
No. (Attempted) election corruption is exceptionally rare in Germany. In the past, there have been instances of false information and fabricated photos circulating on social media, falsely portraying election corruption. However, these have been debunked and explained online by the Bundeswahlleiter.
Right-wing extremist groups have attempted to undermine democratic processes with campaigns and actions in previous elections. The "Freie Sachsen" party, which would have gained from the manipulated crosses, is also classified by the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz as a right-wing extremist endeavor. Nevertheless, it's unclear who is responsible for this attempted manipulation in this state election.
Personal votes and mail-in votes are counted and verified by volunteer helpers. The total number of ballots is cross-referenced with voter lists and then approved by the election committee. If there are any uncertainties, representatives of the respective authorities are available. Afterward, the ballots are packed as per regulations and must be securely stored until the respective state or federal election committee authorizes their destruction at least 60 days before the next election.
"The election conduct and counting in the polling and mail-in voting districts are public and verifiable," a spokesperson for the Bundeswahlleiter informed stern. "Anyone can act as an election observer and confirm that everything is proceeding in an ordered and traceable manner."
The Commission has launched an investigation into the allegations of manipulated ballot papers and attempted election corruption in Saxony, following the discovery of anomalies in voting districts and the involvement of potential perpetrators like employees of nursing homes and postmen.
Given the rare occurrence of election corruption in Germany, as confirmed by the Bundeskriminalamt, voters should not be unduly concerned, but they can still act as election observers to ensure transparency and verify that the election process is ordered and traceable.
