NRW municipal elections: NRW election manager: death figures “not significantly increased”

A week and a half before the local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, the state election manager has knowledge of 16 deaths among the total of several thousand candidates. In view of speculation on the Internet that a particularly large number of AfD candidates could be affected, a spokesman emphasized at the request of the German Press Agency in Düsseldorf that there was no evidence of a significantly increased number of deaths. In the 2020 local elections, more than 20,000 mandates were awarded in NRW.

Of the 16 deaths that have been recorded so far, seven concerns the AfD and one of the SPD, the SPD, the Social Democratic Action (SDA), FDP, Greens, the Animal Welfare Party, the Independent Voters (UWG), Freie Voters, the Party of the People’s Voting and a Voter group – in a total of 14 different communities.

Such deaths from applicants occurred – regardless of party or voter group affiliation – unfortunately, the spokesman stated in all elections. Since there is no reporting obligation by the municipal authorities to the state election manager, there is no entitlement to completeness in the cases mentioned. Regardless of this, your office will receive corresponding reports and she also sees publications on her own initiative.

Among other things, hints of individual AfD politicians had fired speculations on the death of AfD candidates on the Internet. In four cases, the police had already excluded unnatural causes of death or external negligence.

In view of the long period of time between the deployment of the applicants and the election, the Local Election Act provides for the possibility of by -election if an applicant dies before the election day. Such a by -election can also take place on the day of the actual local elections if the time process allows.