The Dillingen an der Donau district office has declared the local council election in Bachhagel invalid. The reason is a violation of the principle of secret ballot: the Burghagel voters’ association determined its candidates at the nomination meeting by a show of hands instead of a secret vote. The authority ordered a new election, the date of which has not yet been set but is expected to take place in the autumn.
Until the decision of July 8 becomes legally binding, the current local council can still pass resolutions. If the decision is not challenged within a month, the mayor will continue to run the affairs of the municipality, which has around 2,430 residents, alone. The approximately 1,880 eligible voters will receive new election notifications and can apply for postal voting.
Only parties and voter groups that had submitted correct proposals for the original election may participate in the new election. The Burghagel voters’ association, which held three of the 14 seats in the old council, is excluded. The term of office of the new local council ends as scheduled on April 30, 2032.
Source: www.sueddeutsche.de
