Election workers urgently wanted: Fastnacht could be a challenge!

The preparations for the early Bundestag election in Germany, which will take place on February 23, 2025, are in full swing. A mixed picture is shown in Rhineland-Palatinate: While many municipalities are well prepared, there are still difficulties in some regions to find both sufficient election workers and suitable polling stations. According to Tagesschau Reports like Ralf Hechler (CDU) from Ramstein-Miesenbach of a positive response regarding the election workers. A campaign that started in the summer of 2024 has led to a high level of commitment among the population.

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

challenges through Fastnacht

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

For the federal election in total, up to 650,000 election workers are required throughout Germany, of which around 45,000 are required in Rhineland-Palatinate alone, such as swr reported. Election workers can become all voters of German citizens aged 18 and over and are used in the polling stations for various tasks, including reviewing the voter rights and issuing voices. The polling stations are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., although not all election workers must always be present during this time, and at least three election workers must be present at any time.

The tasks of the election workers also include counting the votes from 6 p.m. and the support of people with disabilities. For their work, the election workers receive a refreshing allowance that can vary depending on the municipality, and travel expenses are also reimbursed. People aged 65 and over have the opportunity to reject the appeal as election workers, while employees in the public service usually receive a day of service or work.