The German national election held last year must be completely re-run in the city of Berlin as a result of multiple discrepancies plaguing the result, a court in the city has said.
As a result of a wide variety of serious voting irregularities in Berlin, elections that took place in the city last year — including the nationwide general election — must now be re-run in the city, a court declared on Wednesday.
Ranging from a lack of ballot papers, periodic polling station closures and massive queues for people looking to vote, last year’s vote in Berlin has ultimately been described as “a complete systemic failure“, with many fearing that all votes that took place may have to be held again.
Such fears have been given even more credence this week, with Berlin’s Constitutional Court declaring that — in its view — it is necessary that all elections that took place in September 2021 in the city have a do-over.