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People waiting in front of a polling station in Berlin-Friedrichshain
Photo: Bernd von Jutrczenka / dpa
Today the Berliners not only elect the Bundestag, but also a new House of Representatives.
In some cases there must have been considerable problems on site.
Several polling stations had to close temporarily because the voting papers had run out on site.
Some polling stations also received false ballot papers.
The Federal Returning Officer tweeted: “The Berlin State Returning Officer has informed us that there are no second ballots for the election to the House of Representatives in polling stations in Berlin.
As it turned out on election day, polling stations had received second ballots from another district. "
According to the Berlin »Tagesspiegel«, polling stations 404, 407 and 408 in the Spartacus Elementary School in Friedrichshain only had ballots from Charlottenburg / Wilmersdorf for the House of Representatives election.
Until the correct ballot papers were delivered, the polling stations had to be temporarily closed.
In addition, some votes on false ballot papers had to be declared invalid.
Furthermore, the ballot papers in polling stations in Wilmersdorf and Charlottenburg are said to have run out.
Waiting times of up to 60 minutes
An electoral officer from a polling station in Wilmersdorf told the Tagesspiegel: "We had to take an hour off because we ran out of ballots and nobody could vote."
According to SPIEGEL information, there are waiting times between 50 and 60 minutes in front of a polling station in Berlin-Mitte.
The Berlin Marathon, which is taking place in parallel in the capital, could be responsible for the chaos in the polling stations.
Due to closures, there are numerous traffic jams in the city.
According to Geert Baasen, spokesman for the state election control in Berlin, those waiting do not have to worry that the polling stations will close at 6 p.m. sharp.
Whoever stands in line in front of his polling station until 6 p.m. can still vote, Baasen told the »Tagesspigel«.
At 6 p.m., a check is made in front of the polling station to see who is the last person in line.
Up to this last person, everyone can still cast their vote.
"Anyone who queues after 6 p.m. no longer."
mrc / dpa
