Elections to the Berlin House of Representatives: Parliamentary chain reaction

It is not really a glitch if the share of votes changes slightly after the first count. Because inaccuracies can always occur here, there is a provisional election result and a final one a few weeks later. But in the case of the election to the Berlin House of Representatives on September 20th, such a correction triggers a considerable chain reaction.

A recount in the Spandau constituency has shown that the AfD candidate Tommy Tabor won the direct mandate there and not the CDU candidate Bettina Meißner. State returning officer Stephan Bröchler confirmed a report from the Tagesspiegel to the dpa. According to Bröchler, the recount became necessary because the quick report of the result sent by telephone did not match the - correct - result in the electoral board's minutes.

“I can’t say at the moment why that was,” said Bröchler on Friday. In any case, AfD man Tabor is now ahead with 34 votes and not Meißner with 80 votes. Because the CDU was only entitled to an overhang mandate with the wrong result for the direct candidate, this is now no longer available - and takes with it four so-called compensatory candidates for other factions. “153 candidates will receive a seat in the House of Representatives, not 158,” said Bröchler, explaining the current state of affairs.

The rather complicated calculations still have to show which MPs this affects. According to the Tagesspiegel, Martin Matz (SPD), Oda Hassepaß (Greens) as well as Coco Aglibut and Bettina Günter from the Left are said to be affected. The final result will be announced on October 12th by the state election committee under Bröchler's leadership.

In the case of a red-green-red coalition, its parliamentary majority would be reduced if the five seats were lost: it would then come to 91 out of 153, which corresponds to a majority of 14 votes. So far there would have been 95 of 158 seats – a majority of 16 seats.

Tabor's narrow victory also gave the AfD its third direct mandate in a constituency in the former West Berlin. In the east there are 10 direct mandates.