The Lower Saxony election commission voted on July 21 to bar Alternative for Germany (AfD) Bundestag member Martin Sichert from running for a county board seat in Friesland.
The ruling red‑green coalition amended election regulations in February, granting local election boards the authority to exclude candidates whose loyalty to the constitution is in doubt.
In the same month, the state security office classified the AfD as a confirmed far‑right party, prompting intensified scrutiny of its candidates ahead of September’s local elections.
At least eleven AfD candidates are currently under investigation for alleged insufficient constitutional loyalty, with no formal mechanism provided for them to defend against the bans.
Earlier this year, an AfD youth organization board member was denied a mayoral candidacy in Nörten‑Hardenberg despite a recommendation for approval, and a similar exclusion occurred in Ludwigshafen in 2025.
A temporary injunction challenging the February rule was dismissed in June, leaving the expanded powers of election boards in place.
Observers express concern that the measures may undermine democratic competition, while proponents argue they are necessary to guard against extremist influence.
The upcoming September 13 local elections will reveal how these exclusions affect the AfD, which polls around 20 % in the region, compared with roughly 25 % for both the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats.
