The authorities of the municipality of Friedberg in Swabia have admitted that approximately one hundred eligible voters received duplicate sets of election materials for the upcoming local elections scheduled for March 8. Earlier, similar mistakes were reported by the municipalities of Kulmbach in Upper Franconia, as well as Gilching and Gauting. All twice-sent postal voting ballots have been invalidated to prevent double voting. Officials reassure that thanks to the individual numbering of documents, they will be able to detect and eliminate duplicate shipments. Individuals who have not yet returned their documents should destroy the excess sets. Voters affected by the error will receive new, correct materials.
Duplicate documents in Friedberg
The city office of Friedberg in Swabia confirmed that approximately one hundred residents received two copies of election materials for the local elections scheduled for March 8. This is another German municipality that has admitted to a mistake in the postal voting shipment process.
Earlier errors in Kulmbach
Just before Friedberg, a similar problem with duplicate document shipments was reported by the authorities of the municipality of Kulmbach in Upper Franconia. This indicates broader logistical problems in the election organization process across different regions of Germany.
Invalidation of duplicate ballots
In both Friedberg and Kulmbach, all twice-sent postal voting ballots have been officially invalidated. This is intended to prevent voters from casting two valid votes and to preserve the integrity of the electoral process.
Incomplete materials in Gilching and Gauting
In other municipalities – Gilching and Gauting – some voters received incomplete election sets, lacking all necessary voting ballots. Authorities appealed for immediate verification of the received documents.
Corrective procedure
Officials inform that thanks to the individual numbering of ballots, they will be able to identify and reject duplicate shipments. Individuals who have not yet returned their documents are asked to destroy the excess sets. All affected persons will receive new, correct materials.
Authorities in more German municipalities are admitting to administrative errors in sending postal voting materials ahead of the local elections scheduled for March 8. In Friedberg, Swabia, approximately one hundred eligible voters received duplicate election sets. The city office informed that all twice-sent postal voting ballots have been officially invalidated to prevent double voting. A similar mistake was earlier reported by the authorities of the municipality of Kulmbach in Upper Franconia. In another group of localities – Gilching and Gauting – a different problem occurred: some voters received incomplete sets, lacking all necessary voting ballots. Authorities appealed to residents for immediate verification of the received documents.In Germany, postal voting has become increasingly popular in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This procedure is subject to strict regulations, and each election set has a unique numbering system, which theoretically prevents abuse and facilitates error identification. Officials in Friedberg assure that thanks to the individual numbering of ballots, they will be able to detect and eliminate duplicate shipments during the vote count. Voters who have not yet returned their documents should destroy the excess sets. All those affected by the error will receive new, correct materials. The issue raises questions about the logistical efficiency of local administrations in the face of the approaching elections and raises concerns about the integrity of the democratic process in case of repeated mistakes. Although municipal authorities are implementing corrective procedures, the series of incidents in different regions of the country indicates potentially broader organizational challenges. This highlights the importance of precision in the administrative process related to elections, which directly impacts citizens' trust in democratic institutions. Local elections in Germany are significant for local politics, and any doubts about the correctness of procedures could undermine their outcome.