Ansgar Schledde explained that in the local elections in the Hannover region, more than 3,000 outer ballot envelopes were opened prematurely in 14 out of 20 surrounding municipalities. He regarded this as a systematic violation of §59 of the Lower Saxony Municipal Election Code. The envelopes should have remained unopened and sealed; instead, ballots with the names and addresses of the voters became visible and were repackaged. The votes were then counted without verification, Schledde wrote. The procedure was ordered by the regional election office via email and was only stopped by the state election director four days before the election. Interior Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD) commented cautiously on the incident; supposedly, no impact on the election result was to be expected, criticized Schledde. He supported the objection of Bundestag member Dirk Brandes and announced a complete clarification as well as a legal examination. For the state elections in 2027, postal voting documents must be designed to prevent manipulation, and the rules must be adhered to. Those who violate the election regulations must face consequences, Schledde wrote. https://t.co/uzZye3DAPi #Wahlen #Demokratie #Niedersachsen (translated)