Thousands of German mail-in ballots opened early, AfD threatens legal challenge

Ahead of the September 13 local elections in Lower Saxony, municipal employees in several surrounding towns opened postal voting envelopes before the official deadline. The regional election chief reported that the issue affected a substantial number of envelopes across 14 of the 20 municipalities, while six reported no incidents. The premature openings were triggered by an email from the deputy regional election officer in late August, directing officials to open and re-seal the ballots, a step later prohibited by the state election chief.

The state election authority confirmed the action breached the municipal election code but said it was unlikely to change the overall result. AfD Bundestag member Dirk Brandes said his party will file an objection, arguing the breach could have altered outcomes in close races. He also called for redesigning future mail-in ballot materials to prevent similar problems.