Overview
- The repeat mayoral vote on Sunday delivered a clear winner as Ruth Markert won with about 87 percent of the vote and turnout near 69.5 percent.
- The rerun was ordered after the long-serving mayor admitted in late March that he manipulated voting materials and then resigned from office and the CSU.
- Investigators say the suspect opened roughly 30 postal ballot envelopes and altered multiple ballots before resealing or replacing envelopes, and his criminal trial is set for November 3, 2026 with a possible sentence of up to five years or a fine.
- Officials also repeated the municipal council vote and the county council’s postal vote only, and the regional government says it is mathematically possible but unlikely that the reruns will change the county council’s overall makeup.
- Local administration has been run by the deputy mayor during the probe, a disciplinary procedure remains open, and authorities continue forensic and prosecutorial work that could affect other local races or prompt further legal steps.