2009 State and Federal elections in Germany

[Tender Branson]

We're having a Landrat election here in Darmstadt-Dieburg on Sunday (something like County Board Chair in the U.S., I'd say, even though it's not exactly the same thing.)

Not to be attention whoring....but I face a serious dilemma here

We've only got 2 candidates.....one from the SPD and one from the CDU, and I know that the CDU guy is pretty much an idiot....

and this might force me to cast my first ever SPD vote....that's truly frightening for me

I'm not the kind of person to stay home....though.....

Well alright.....I voted for the SPD guy just a couple of minutes ago......now please forgive me while I take a shower.....


On a side note, the state of Berlin is voting in a referendum today about whether to allow religion as a regular school subject in public schools.

In most German states, it is possible to take Catholic or Protestant religion....or take a class known as "ethics"....one of them is almost always mandatory.

In Berlin, however, "ethics" is mandatory, and religion class is not allowed as a substitute, and may only be taken voluntarily, but doesn't count for anything.


It is likely that the referendum to allow religion in Berlin will fail....either by getting less than 50% of votes cast.....or even more likely by failing to get 25% of eligible voters, as required by Berlin.

Interesting.

Does the "Yes"-side need to get at least 25% of all eligible voters or is a general turnout of 25% needed ?

I believe it's 25% of all eligible voters. Think I read that in Focus.

So, if it splits 50-50, about 50% of all eligible Berliners would have to vote. That's rather high.

If 40% vote, the Yes-side needs to win with 63% ... and so on - to pass.

Exactly.

Actually, the press has specuated that Wowereit set this date on purpose to get low turnout, as opposed to doing the referendum on the same day as the EU elections.

I think it will/would fail on both dates anyway ...

[Tender Branson]

Turnout at 4pm:

22,6% => Massive Failure for Religion !

[Franzl]

estimated turnout: 29%

The proposition has certainly failed.

In order to get 25% of eligible voters.....YES would have to win 86.2% of the votes.

A shame actually, I was supporting the YES side.

[Tender Branson]

A shame actually, I was supporting the YES side.

Me too.

[Franzl]

And we've got a relatively close race for Landrat actually....I thought it'd be a much easier win:

Darmstadt-Dieburg:

Schellhaas (SPD): 52.9%
Buschmann (CDU): 47.1%

with 79% of precincts reporting

[Franzl]

Darmstadt-Dieburg:

Schellhaas (SPD): 54.4%
Buschmann (CDU): 45.6%

obviously nobody besides me cares , but that's the final result with 100% reporting.

[Franzl]

Berlin election site says:

19:10 - Auszählungsstand 87,8%. Kopf an Kopf Rennen zwischen JA und NEIN.

God....this is going to be a terrible result as far as the percentage of eligible voters is concerned.

[Tender Branson]

Berlin election site says:

19:10 - Auszählungsstand 87,8%. Kopf an Kopf Rennen zwischen JA und NEIN.

God....this is going to be a terrible result as far as the percentage of eligible voters is concerned.

Interesting: Western Berlin voted Yes with about 65%, Eastern Berlin No with about 70%+

Overall, No won with 51.3-48.5

[Franzl]

Berlin election site says:

19:10 - Auszählungsstand 87,8%. Kopf an Kopf Rennen zwischen JA und NEIN.

God....this is going to be a terrible result as far as the percentage of eligible voters is concerned.

Interesting: Western Berlin voted Yes with about 65%, Eastern Berlin No with about 70%+

Overall, No won with 51.3-48.5

Ahh..didn't refresh the page often enough.....didn't see that the results had already come in.

[Franzl]

I'm not really surprised about the East/West difference.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Interesting: Western Berlin voted Yes with about 65%, Eastern Berlin No with about 70%+

lol

[Franzl]

in case you (Al or anybody else) care about more specific numbers:

http://www.wahlen-berlin.de/

[minionofmidas]

Well well well... Springer gets ever worse at picking its fights.

[minionofmidas]

Interesting: Western Berlin voted Yes with about 65%, Eastern Berlin No with about 70%+

lol

One western borough (Steglitz - Zehlendorf, unsurprisingly) actually got to over 25% yes vote as a percentage of voters. In the core Eastern boroughs of Lichtenberg and Marzahn-Hellersdorf, the yes vote stands at 5%.

[minionofmidas]

Darmstadt-Dieburg:

Schellhaas (SPD): 54.4%
Buschmann (CDU): 45.6%

obviously nobody besides me cares , but that's the final result with 100% reporting.

I found the Bad Homburg mayoral election funnier.

Michael Korwisi (ran as indy, but is a Green Party member. Supported by Greens and some pretty sizable Indy slate) 39.3%
Ursula Jungherr (CDU, incumbent. Also supported by FDP) 39.0%
some SPD bloke, I forget the name 21.7%

Six years ago, Jungherr won in Round 1, from a field of five candidates.

Local anger over a number of contentious development issues boiled over there... still, Jungherr not even topping the poll seems to have been quite a shock.

[Tender Branson]

Interesting: Western Berlin voted Yes with about 65%, Eastern Berlin No with about 70%+

lol

One western borough (Steglitz - Zehlendorf, unsurprisingly) actually got to over 25% yes vote as a percentage of voters. In the core Eastern boroughs of Lichtenberg and Marzahn-Hellersdorf, the yes vote stands at 5%.

Isn't Steglitz-Zehlendorf the most affluent district of Berlin, full of old rich white people ? Or is that Spandau ? Or both ?

[minionofmidas]

Interesting: Western Berlin voted Yes with about 65%, Eastern Berlin No with about 70%+

lol

One western borough (Steglitz - Zehlendorf, unsurprisingly) actually got to over 25% yes vote as a percentage of voters. In the core Eastern boroughs of Lichtenberg and Marzahn-Hellersdorf, the yes vote stands at 5%.

Isn't Steglitz-Zehlendorf the most affluent district of Berlin, full of old rich white people ?

Yeah.

Although it also has the FU. And a surprisingly large Green vote.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

[minionofmidas]

Darmstadt-Dieburg:

Schellhaas (SPD): 54.4%
Buschmann (CDU): 45.6%

obviously nobody besides me cares , but that's the final result with 100% reporting.

I found the Bad Homburg mayoral election funnier.

Michael Korwisi (ran as indy, but is a Green Party member. Supported by Greens and some pretty sizable Indy slate) 39.3%
Ursula Jungherr (CDU, incumbent. Also supported by FDP) 39.0%
some SPD bloke, I forget the name 21.7%

Six years ago, Jungherr won in Round 1, from a field of five candidates.

Local anger over a number of contentious development issues boiled over there... still, Jungherr not even topping the poll seems to have been quite a shock.

Korwisi wins, 59.5-40.5!

CDU loses Bad Homburg mayoralty after 61 years.

[Tender Branson]

New Emnid poll for the September Federal Elections: SPD gaining !

CDU/CSU: 34%
SPD: 28%
FDP: 13%
Left: 11%
Greens: 10%
Others: 4%

Majority for SPD-Left-Greens.

[Franzl]

oh Lord....not this again.

[Tender Branson]

oh Lord....not this again.

Considering that CDU/CSU used to overpoll by 2-5% in recent state elections, there's a slight chance that the race could tighten up quite a bit ...

[Franzl]

oh Lord....not this again.

Considering that CDU/CSU used to overpoll by 2-5% in recent state elections, there's a slight chance that the race could tighten up quite a bit ...

my fears precisely, yes. The CDU/CSU always tend to underform compared to pre-election polls.

I'm now quite worried about September.

[Tender Branson]

oh Lord....not this again.

Considering that CDU/CSU used to overpoll by 2-5% in recent state elections, there's a slight chance that the race could tighten up quite a bit ...

my fears precisely, yes. The CDU/CSU always tend to underform compared to pre-election polls.

I'm now quite worried about September.

There's also the chance that this Emnid poll could be an outlier, because most other polls show the Conservatives 8-10 points ahead ...

[Lief 🗽]

New Emnid poll for the September Federal Elections: SPD gaining !

CDU/CSU: 34%
SPD: 28%
FDP: 13%
Left: 11%
Greens: 10%
Others: 4%

Majority for SPD-Left-Greens.

Steinmeier has ruled out a coalition with Die Linke though, hasn't he?