Deselection Mayor Peter Feldmann: The first votes are in the ballot box

The Bürgeramt Sachsenhausen is not so easy to find.

There, where the Große Rittergasse branches off from the Deutschherrnufer, just before the youth hostel, there is a reference to the "Briefballungsraum".

Before you reach the cowherd tower, turn right to the entrance in a cul-de-sac.

Gunter Murr

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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For the first time, the Sachsenhausen Citizens Registration Office will be used in an election or referendum for postal votes.

The central citizens' office on the Zeil is currently being renovated, and the alternative quarters for the last two elections on Lange Strasse are also occupied.

Sachsenhausen was chosen because it is very centrally located, explains Stefan Köster, head of the elections office.

The Citizens' Registration Office in Grosse Rittergasse is currently closed to the general public, only ID cards and passports can be picked up.

Instead, you can apply for the letter voting documents in the rooms since last Monday and, if you want, fill them out right away.

Six tables and an urn are available in the foyer.

Behind privacy screens you can answer the question of whether you vote for Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann's vote to be voted out of office with a cross with a yes or no.

On Tuesday morning, the couple Jasmine and Volker Kosfeld come to the vote.

Both receive a number at reception and are thus forwarded to one of the operator stations in the room two doors down.

It's the same process as applying for a passport or reporting a move.

The Kosfeld couple identify themselves, and the employee at the Citizens Registration Office finds out that both are entitled to vote.

You will each receive three envelopes in different colors, a voting slip that needs to be signed and the ballot paper on which yes or no can be ticked.

Signature on the monitor

They acknowledge receipt of the documents by signing one of the citizen monitors that have been installed at every operator station for a few weeks.

Digitization relieves the employees: "We can check so quickly who has already received voting documents," explains Frauke Dalichau from the Citizens' Registration Office.

The Kosfelds take the paper packet to the polling booth, tick their boxes, and then it's time for a little handicraft work: the ballot paper goes in the blue envelope, which in turn goes in the light red envelope together with the ballot paper.

A glue stick is provided for gluing.

In addition to the instructions, a white envelope remains.

This is only required if you fill out the documents at home and send them back by post.

"The man is a disgrace for Frankfurt"

Jasmine and Volker Kosfeld decide to throw their ballots into the ballot box right there and then.

In an interview with the FAZ, they make no secret of how they voted.

"For us it is important that the mayor is voted out," says Volker Kosfeld.

And his wife adds: "The man is a disgrace for Frankfurt." Volker Kosfeld not only mentions the most recent affairs, for which Peter Feldmann has come under criticism.

Frankfurt had developed negatively throughout his tenure, under Petra Roth it was different.

The Kosfelds were early because voting notices hadn't even been sent out yet.

They should only reach those entitled to vote later this week.

But it is also possible to vote beforehand.

It is enough to come to the Sachsenhausen Citizens Registration Office with an identity document.

It is open until November 4th on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7.30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Fridays from 7.30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

You can also conveniently have the documents sent to your home.

The easiest way to do this is online, either via the QR code printed on the notification or via

.

Frauke Dalichau recommends applying for the documents by October 26 at the latest so that there is still enough time for the mail to arrive.

No postal voting in Höchst this time

Unlike in previous elections, there will be no postal polling station in Höchst this time.

Michael Wolfsteiner, the deputy head of the citizens' office, statistics and elections, justifies this with the tense personnel situation.

In any case, there is currently an increased number of visitors in the Citizens’ Registration Offices – also because of the Ukrainians who have fled.

And then the referendum came at very short notice, so long-term personnel planning was not possible.

The office for elections had expected that the entire machinery of printing ballot papers, renting polling stations and sending out documents would not start up again until next year's state elections.

17 employees will be on duty at the Sachsenhausen Citizens' Registration Office to vote on the letters.

Among other things, nine trainees help out.

Köster suspects that the number of applications will increase once the notifications have been sent.

However, unlike in previous elections, there will be no interim reports on participation this time.

Because for a deselection of the mayor it is not enough that there are more yes than no votes.

At least 30 percent of those entitled to vote must also vote for the deselection.

Evidence of high or low turnout could sway voters one way or the other.

For Volker Kosfeld, that doesn't matter: "I hope that there will be enough votes to vote out," he says.

This is one of the reasons why he and his wife decided to cast their votes on the second day.