Crosses visible to the public: Laschet folds ballot paper incorrectly

Crosses visible to the public
Laschet folds ballot paper incorrectly

One of the rituals of an election Sunday is that the top candidates of the parties cast their votes in a publicly effective manner. Union candidate Laschet does it a little too publicly, however.

The CDU / CSU’s candidate for chancellor, Armin Laschet, folded his ballot incorrectly when casting his vote for the federal election. When Laschet threw the note into the ballot box at a polling station in Aachen, bystanders could see what he had ticked. Photographers captured the moment in pictures, television cameras broadcast it live.

Because of the secrecy of the election, it is not allowed to openly throw in one’s ballot paper. The voter must “fold it in such a way that its vote is not recognizable,” says the Federal Returning Officer ‘s website. Should the vote be recognizable, the electoral committee would have to reject the voter. Typically, the polling station will tell you how to fold the slip of paper. This did not happen, however, and both Laschet and his wife threw their misfolded ballot papers into the ballot box.

After the polls, Laschet did not respond to the faux pas. The North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister merely said that the general election would decide Germany’s direction in the next few years. “And that’s why every vote counts.”

Lived democracy

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender had previously voted in Berlin. Steinmeier expressly thanked the approximately 650,000 volunteer election workers. “Those who vote live democracy.” He added: “Those who help organize them are serving the community.”

SPD chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz went to the polling station in his place of residence in Potsdam, and he was also accompanied by his wife. After his vote, Scholz once again appealed to the citizens to vote for a strong SPD result. “So that the citizens give me the mandate to become the next Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany,” he said. CSU boss Markus Söder and his wife Karin voted in Nuremberg. Söder said afterwards that he was not nervous about the outcome of the election, but that he was a little tense. “There are better days.” Green Chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock wants to cast her vote at noon.

Almost 60.4 million Germans are called to cast first and second votes. Around 2.8 million citizens are taking part in a federal election for the first time. A total of 47 parties are standing for election. The polling stations are open until 6 p.m. A new postal voting record is also expected because of the corona pandemic.

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