Christian Boden, the State Election Director for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, is countering theories of electoral manipulation promoted by the AfD regarding mail-in voting. Speaking to the “Tagesspiegel”, Boden asserted that he considers such doubts about the safety of postal ballots to be unwarranted, stating simply, “Mail-in voting is secure.”
While acknowledging that no procedure can be 100% infallible, Boden explained that elections are “equipped with safety mechanisms everywhere.” He admitted that human error could occur during the count, but stressed that there are multiple levels of control in place to ensure the votes are tallied correctly. Furthermore, he noted that any citizen is free to observe the entire process. He made a crucial distinction: “The vote is secret. The count is not.”
Looking at the broader political landscape, Boden observes changes in the public discourse surrounding elections. He has noted, “that the tone has become rougher in recent years,” which correlates with an increasing tendency to question the integrity of elections. Describing this trend as a negative development, he admitted he was unsure how many citizens genuinely believe these claims about manipulation.
Personally, the State Election Director votes in the polling station. He explained this preference by saying that “for me, elections are a self-affirmation of democracy,” emphasizing that he wants to experience this feeling firsthand.
Boden concluded with an appeal to the public, stating that going to vote represents the smallest form of participation in a democracy. He urged citizens: “Go vote. Look at it. Contribute productively. This also demonstrates that you are connected to this community.”
