STORY: The September 2021 election to the Berlin House of Representatives must be repeated in full. This was decided by the constitutional court of the state of Berlin on Wednesday. The election took place parallel to the general election and was marked by numerous mishaps. For example, very long queues formed in front of polling stations and many voters were only able to cast their votes after the polling stations had officially closed at 6 p.m. Press spokeswoman Lisa Jani said in Berlin on Wednesday that the Constitutional Court had come to the following conclusion: “The preparations for the elections were so blatantly flawed that they subsequently spread to the elections. The frequency and severity of the election errors According to the Constitutional Court, this leads to the only possibility, namely that the elections have to be repeated throughout Berlin. This is the only way to maintain democratic standards.” From the election in September 2021, more than a year ago, the SPD emerged as the strongest force and has since governed the capital in a coalition with the Greens and the Left under Mayor Franziska Giffey. The new election date is now scheduled for February 12, 2023.