Voting Process - Voter participation decreased slightly in the recent election compared to the one in 2019.
At the European and local elections in Saxony-Anhalt, a somewhat lower turnout of voters has been noted prior to noon on Sunday compared to the same elections five years ago. The Election Chief in Magdeburg shared that 19% of eligible citizens had voted at polling stations by midday - the mail-in ballots were not yet factored in. In the 2019 voting, the turnout at noon stood at 20.7%. However, the final voter turnout that year was 54.7%.
Polling stations opened at 8 a.m. for the submission of votes for the European and municipal elections. The Election Chief reported a seamless progression of the elections in the morning. Approximately 1.8 million residents in the country are called to exercise their right to vote. In the local elections, councilors of districts, cities, and municipalities, as well as village leaders, will be chosen anew. Youngers aged 16 and 17 can cast their votes in the European elections for the first time. According to the Election Chief, their voter turnout stood at 14.3% by noon.
Following the closing of polling stations at 6 p.m., the election officials will start tallying the votes for the European elections. Initial outcomes are predicted around 7 p.m. The municipal elections will follow. Provisional results for the elections of the district and city councils in the free cities are anticipated around 8 p.m.
In the 2019 European elections, the CDU took the lead with 23.2% of the votes. The AfD emerged as the runner-up with 20.4% of the votes. Following them was the Left with 14.4% and then the SPD with 12.6%. Greens managed to garner 9.2% while the FDP had 4.9% of the votes.
In 2019, about 998,400 individuals cast their votes. This equates to a voter turnout of 54.7%. This was a significant surge compared to the previous European election in 2014, when just 43% of eligible voters opted to vote.
Regarding the local elections, district councils, city councils, and village councils, along with mayors, will be selected anew. This encompasses all eleven district councils plus city councils in Halle, Magdeburg, and Dessau-Roßlau, and municipal council elections in 101 unitary towns. Approximately 970 municipalities will hold village council and mayoral elections, with the municipal statute determining whether an assembly of village representatives or a mayor is to be voted for. Additionally, there will be some mayoral elections on Sunday like in Querfurt (Saalekreis) and Zielitz (Landkreis Börde).
Furthermore, the district council and municipal council elections will occur in the associations of municipalities. Consequently, a grand total of approximately 720 district council and city council positions in the free cities, around 4,400 seats in the municipal councils and association council posts, and 6,000 seats in the village councils are set to be filled. This also includes occasional mayoral races taking place on Sunday.
