Martin Horn re-elected as Freiburg's mayor in decisive victory
Eccentric Write-In Votes Draw Attention in Freiburg Mayoral Election: Well-Known Names Appear on Ballots
The Freiburg Municipal Election Committee has certified the final results of the city's mayoral race, including votes cast for candidates not pre-listed on the ballot.
On Sunday, April 26, 2026, voters had the option to write in their own choices. According to election officials, 53 ballots featured such write-in entries. Among them were several prominent figures: former SC Freiburg coach Christian Streich received 14 votes, while other names—such as Dieter Salomon, Freiburg's former mayor, and Boris Palmer, the mayor of Tübingen—each appeared sporadically.
A total of 97,085 people participated in the election, out of 173,011 eligible voters, pushing turnout well above 50%. The election committee reported that 96,935 ballots were valid, with only 150 deemed invalid.
Incumbent Mayor Martin Horn secured a clear victory, garnering 51,310 votes—more than half of all valid ballots cast—thus avoiding the need for a runoff.
The count was overseen by 139 polling station officials and 60 absentee ballot supervisors. The committee reviewed all records before certifying the official final result.
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