Berlin vote count questioned over election day glitches

BERLIN — Numerous election day glitches in the German capital have prompted calls for the result to be scrutinized, with one politician saying Thursday that his party plans to challenge the outcome of the vote.

Long lines formed outside many polling stations in Berlin on Sunday as voters struggled with extra ballot papers for simultaneous federal, state and district elections — plus a city-wide referendum.

Despite the election officially ending at 6 p.m. (1600GMT) voters who were already lined up by then were allowed to cast their ballots.

Some polling stations ran out of ballot papers during the day, while others received ones for the wrong district. This led to a large share of ballots being declared invalid in some polling stations.

The top election official in Berlin state announced her resignation Wednesday.

Martin Sonneborn, a European lawmaker, said Thursday that his satirical party, The Party, would be challenging the vote.

Clarity about whether the voting irregularities affect the outcome isn’t expected before the certified vote count is published on Oct. 14.

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