Bissingen an der Teck: Elected mayor does not accept election

After an extremely strange election result, the small community of Bissingen an der Teck in Baden-Württemberg is without a mayor. The election winner was the deputy mayor and local councilor of the Independent Voters’ Association, Siegfried Nägele – but he had not even applied for the office. After a week of reflection, the 61-year-old announced that he would not run, even though he had surprisingly won the absolute majority of votes.

Nägele was not on the ballot paper, but more than half of the voters had put his name in the blank line below the two actual candidates in the election a week ago. In this line on the ballot papers, voters can enter the name of a preferred candidate who has not stood for election. If that person wins, they can accept or reject the election.

Bissingen an der Teck without a mayor

According to the town hall, Nägele received 811 votes or 50.5 percent of the votes – that was the absolute majority. The 61-year-old has now announced that he has decided not to accept the election. “This emerged when we weighed up all the context and within the context of the current municipal legal framework as well as my professional and personal situation.” A new election would be the most sensible way for the further development of the 3,500-resident community, explained Nägele. Several media outlets reported about it.