Election helpers urgently needed: Carnival could become a challenge!

Preparations for the early federal elections in Germany, which will take place on February 23, 2025, are in full swing. There is a mixed picture in Rhineland-Palatinate: While many municipalities are well prepared, in some regions there are still difficulties in finding both sufficient poll workers and suitable polling stations. Loud daily news Mayors like Ralf Hechler (CDU) from Ramstein-Miesenbach report a positive response to the election workers. An election worker campaign launched in the summer of 2024 has led to a high level of engagement among the population.

The SWR survey showed that the majority of municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate were able to recruit enough election workers. In Speyer, for example, there were 150 applications for an online call, and in Andernach 300 interested people registered for the 200 helpers needed. Neuwied also reports sufficient election workers. The municipalities of Rülzheim and Wittlich-Land are actively contacting parties and associations to recruit additional helpers. In the Bruchmühlbach-Miesau community, the search for volunteers began in November, while in Pirmasens an online registration option is offered. However, there is still a need for election workers in cities such as Ludwigshafen, Worms, Mayen and Koblenz. In Idar-Oberstein, vacation bans were also imposed for municipal employees during the election.

Challenges caused by carnival

An additional challenge for election organization is the overlap with the carnival events. These lead to bottlenecks at polling stations in some municipalities, which is why alternative locations such as fire stations, daycare centers and sports halls are being considered. In Mainz, voters have already been informed about possible changes to the polling stations.

For the federal election as a whole, up to 650,000 election workers are needed across Germany, of which around 45,000 are needed in Rhineland-Palatinate alone SWR reported. All German citizens aged 18 and over who are eligible to vote can become poll workers and are used in the polling stations for various tasks, including checking eligibility to vote and issuing ballot papers. Polling stations are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., although not all poll workers need to be present during this time and at least three poll workers must be present at all times.

The poll workers' tasks also include counting votes from 6 p.m. and supporting people with disabilities. The poll workers receive refreshment money for their work, which can vary depending on the municipality, and travel costs are also reimbursed. People aged 65 and over have the opportunity to refuse to be appointed as an election worker, while public sector employees usually receive one day off work or work.