State Election: Right-Wing Groups Mobilize Observers to Monitor Polling Stations

When polling stations in Saxony-Anhalt begin counting votes on Sunday evening, some could become crowded with observers mobilized by the AfD and its allies. German election law allows anyone to watch the process without registering in advance, provided they do not disrupt proceedings.

The AfD has spent weeks urging supporters to keep a close eye on election boards. At campaign events, a man in a bright blue suit has collected the names of people willing to act as observers. Lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund also called on supporters to “look very closely,” while federal party leader Tino Chrupalla suggested that irregularities could occur in postal voting.

The campaign has been reinforced by Ein Prozent, a right-wing network that launched an interactive “election observer map” this week. Hundreds of people had registered across dozens of electoral districts by Tuesday. The group says “hard-fought patriotic votes must not disappear,” while also saying it does not expect state-organized fraud. Instead, it warns that a heated political climate and campaigns by left-wing and far-left nongovernmental organizations could encourage individuals to try to “correct” an election result themselves.

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Hard-fought patriotic votes must not disappear!

Ein Prozent, based in Saxony, campaigns against migration and the admission of asylum seekers. The state’s domestic intelligence agency describes it as closely connected to the New Right. The AfD’s Saxony-Anhalt branch shared the group’s map on X and urged supporters to participate.

Platform Wahlen has announced a separate mission involving more than 80 short-term and 12 long-term observers. Backed by the Europäische Austausch gGmbH and the European Platform for Democratic Elections, it says it will assess the election independently according to international standards, including those of the Council of Europe and the OECD. Its mostly volunteer team plans to present its findings the day after the election.

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look very closely