Local elections in Lower Saxony: is the SPD overtaking the CDU for the first time?

Exactly two weeks before the federal election, the Lower Saxony people decide on local parliaments and top municipal offices on Sunday. Approximately six and a half million eligible voters are called to cast their votes in local elections. The composition of district assemblies, city parliaments, local councils and regional assemblies stood for voting. In addition, mayors and district administrators were to be elected in direct elections.

It is eagerly awaited, among other things, whether the SPD could replace the CDU as the nation’s strongest force in a local election in Lower Saxony for the first time. In the local elections of 2016, the two were already quite close to each other. Overall, however, the initial political situation differs from region to region. The parties often have strongholds, while they do worse elsewhere. A nationwide result is expected for early Monday morning.

Prime Minister Weil relies on the “favorable federal trend”

Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) has already cast his vote and is optimistic. His party was “very deeply rooted in Lower Saxony in all parts,” said the SPD politician on Sunday. “In addition, as is well known, there is a favorable national trend, so I hope for a good result”.

In an Insa survey two weeks before the federal election, for example, the SPD expanded its lead and is now six percentage points ahead of the Union. The Social Democrats and their candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz win in the “Sunday trend” for “Bild am Sonntag” an additional percentage point compared to the previous week and come to 26 percent. The union with Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet is unchanged at 20 percent.

The SPD and CDU have traditionally been successful in Lower Saxony

In total, according to the state election committee between the North Sea and the Harz, more than 2,100 municipal parliaments were to be elected, and around 280 posts were to be assigned to district administrators and mayors. Among other things, new heads of administration for Braunschweig, Oldenburg and Göttingen were elected.

Traditionally, the CDU and SPD are far ahead of the other parties at the local level. In the previous local elections in 2016, the Christian Democrats achieved a nationwide result of 34.3 percent at district level, but the SPD was close behind at 31.2 percent. The Greens followed in third place with 10.9 percent. The AfD came to 7.9 percent five years ago, the FDP to 4.8 percent and the Left to 3.3 percent. Voter groups received six percent.

Clear differences in different circles

All parties have their distinct regional strongholds. The CDU achieved voting shares of well over 50 percent in the East Lower Saxony districts such as Emsland and Cloppenburg, and the same applies to the district of Celle, for example. The SPD also achieved values ​​of more than 50 percent in the Leer and Aurich districts and in the Peine district. The Greens achieved their best results in the cities of Oldenburg and Osnabrück as well as in the district of Lüneburg.

In general, the Greens are also stronger in the Lower Saxony area around the cities of Hamburg and Bremen, as well as in the region around the capital Hanover. The AfD achieved its best result by far in 2016 in the city of Delmenhorst with 15.2 percent. Voter groups also play an important role regionally. In the Lüchow-Dannenberg district, citizen lists and voter associations received around 30 percent in 2016, in Emden they received around 20 percent.

You can see in the video: Many people already have their voting notification in their mailboxes. Because on September 26th the general election will take place. What eligible voters should know about voting.