The results of a university survey give new nourishment to concerns about low voter turnout.
It is an appeal across all parties and opposing views: the three mayoral candidates wolfgang grader (GAL), gerhard seitz (CSU/BBB) and andreas starke (SPD) sound the alarm. "Our city needs the active participation of the citizenry. Only those who vote decide", it says in a joint election appeal submitted by all applicants on 29. February was signed. It is to be paid on 9. March to be published in the rathausjournal.
According to the city, there has never been a comparable call from three political competitors in bamberg before. It reflects the concern that many citizens, under the impression that everything had already been decided, would vote on 11. Marz could not go to the polls – even though the top office in bamberg is at stake, on which much depends, and even though on this day, uniquely in bamberg’s recent history, a decision will be made about eight years. The mayor, who started the initiative, is also worried that he will not be able to mobilize the voters and, of course, his supporters sufficiently:" the higher the voter turnout, the better the legitimacy of a mayor."
The turnout in the last elections for mayor of bamberg was not a glorious sign of the democratic spirit of the people of bamberg. In the runoff election on 20. March 1994 it was still at 62 percent. At that time, herbert lauer (freie wahler) and andreas stark had made it to the final round. On 26. March 2006, when the citizens decided between andreas starke and peter neller (CSU), only 44 percent made use of their right to vote. A downright crash.