Voting process - Numerous voters participated in European elections held in Munich and Nuremberg.
There are higher voter turnout numbers in Bavaria's largest cities compared to five years ago. In Munich and Nuremberg, more people visited the voting stations by Sunday afternoon than in 2019, according to local election officials.
In areas affected by the floods, there weren't any issues. Initially, it was unclear if the flood would affect voter turnout. Bavaria had a voter turnout of 60.8% for the European election in 2019, out of approximately 9.5 million eligible voters.
In Munich, 56.8% of eligible voters cast their votes by early afternoon (2:30 p.m.), as per the district administration's online reporting. This is a considerable increase from the 51.7% recorded in 2019 at the same time. Mail-in ballots have been included in both comparisons.
Similarly, in Nuremberg, the election office reported a voter turnout of 38.4% (2 p.m.) compared to 34.8% five years ago at the same point. Once again, mail-in ballots were included in both figures.
In Regensburg, the election office recorded a voter turnout of 54.6% that included mail-in votes by 2 p.m. This is significantly higher than 2019's 47.05% at this time.
Augsburg had fewer voters than in the previous European election, but the difference wasn't significant: here, the turnout, excluding mail-in votes, only decreased from 27.9% to 27%.
Elections in flood-stricken areas were possible despite setbacks. In some areas, new polling stations had to be found, while others had to issue new ballots and deliver them to eligible voters alongside their mail-in ballots due to water damage.
Spokeswomen from both Günzburg and Pfaffenhofen districts reported a smooth election process. While some polling stations had to be moved, voters were informed. Other areas set up new polling stations due to flooding in districts like Aichach-Friedberg, Augsburg, Freising, and Neuburg-Schrobenhausen, according to the state election committee.
The impact of the flood on voter turnout was initially unclear. Neuburg-Schrobenhausen district reported a lower voter turnout than in 2019 at noon. By then, 40.75% including mail-in voters had voted - in contrast to the 52.27% in 2019.
Approximately 220,000 16- and 17-year-olds were eligible to vote for the first time due to a change in the voting age. Other than the European election, there were also citizens' initiatives and mayoral elections in Bavaria.
The polling stations were open until 6 p.m. across the state. 34 proposals were made by parties and other political associations with a total of 1,413 candidates nationwide.
An interesting fact is that approximately 822,000 EU citizens, in addition to the 9.57 million Germans in Bavaria, were also eligible to vote. They could decide whether to vote in Bavaria or their home country. Apart from the European election, district council elections, 5 mayoral elections, and 14 citizen referendums were held in Bavaria.
The state election leader would provide results from the European election on their results page come election night.
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InBrussels, politicians from various EU parties are closely monitoring the European election results in Bavaria. The EU has expressed interest in understanding the differences in voter turnout between Bavaria and other German states.
Despite the challenges posed by the flood, many voters in flood-stricken areas of Bavaria traveled to nearby polling stations in Munich, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Augsburg, and Neuburg-Schrobenhausen.
Recently, the city of Munich announced plans to upgrade several polling stations to accommodate more voters in future elections, drawing inspiration from the successful voting process during the European elections.
In Munich, as in other cities across Bavaria, Green Party supporters were among the early voters, reflecting the party's strong performance in the 2019 European elections.
The Christian Social Union (CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), two major parties in Bavaria, have been closely watching the elections' developments. Their campaign strategies for the upcoming district council elections will likely be influenced by the results.
Voters in Neuburg-Schrobenhausen, a district heavily impacted by the flood, showed a lower voter turnout compared to 2019. However, local authorities assure that the election process was fair and had no water damage-related issues.
In Neuburg-Schrobenhausen, election officials distributed new ballots and provided mail-in ballots to eligible voters whose original ballots were damaged by the flood.
A total of 220,000 16- and 17-year-olds participated in the European elections as new eligible voters in Bavaria, marking a significant increase in youth participation in political affairs. This development is expected to impact the future of European politics in Bavaria and the rest of Germany.
