Wahlsimulation: AfD landet bei Berliner U16-Wahl hinter der Tierschutzpartei

In the inaugural U16 election for Berlin's Abgeordnetenhaus, 39,374 children and teenagers cast their votes between September 7th and 11th. Held in approximately 340 polling stations, the exercise allowed young Berliners to express their political preferences in a non-binding symbolic vote. Notable among the results was the AfD's performance, securing 5.8% of the votes, placing it sixth behind the Tierschutzpartei, which garnered 7.7%.

The strongest contender was the Left party, with 32.8% of the vote, followed by the Greens at 20.9%. The SPD received 11.9% of the votes, and the CDU garnered 8.3%. Both the FDP, Volt, and BSW failed to cross the 5% threshold. The U16 election, while symbolically significant, does not influence the regular Abgeordnetenhaus election.

The organizers stress that the results are not representative of the general population and should not be equated with those of a genuine election. Importantly, citizenship does not play a role in partaking in this election, which is open to all young people under the voting age. The State Competence Center for Participation and Democracy Education in Children and Youth coordinated the Berlin-wide U16 election, which took place under the motto "Because opinion knows no age."

The primary goal was to ensure that young people could participate in politics without regard to age. According to the State Competence Center, children and teenagers had been discussing political issues and forming questions about parties in the weeks leading up to the election. They also assisted in organizing polling stations and events.

The organizers hailed the high turnout as evidence of young people's interest in participatory democracy. State Education Minister Katharina Günther-Wünsch (CDU) commented, "The U16 election creates a space where young people can practically experience democratic processes, engage with political issues, and develop their own perspectives."

The election marks the first U16 vote since the voting age was lowered to 16 for the Abgeordnetenhaus election in 2021, when 16,763 children and teenagers participated. In the 2025 Bundestag election, 32,497 Berlin children and teenagers took part in the U18 election. U16 and U18 elections have been held nationwide for roughly 30 years, with the Berlin coordination center taking on the role since 2025, funded by the Senate Department for Education, Youth, and Family.