Agency Report –
Duisburg, Germany – Reluctant voters are being lured to the polling station in the western German city of Duisburg by the offer of free beer.
Voters handing in a postal ballot in the city centre by 2 pm (1300 GMT) on Saturday received a voucher for a drink at a beer cart next to the polling station.
Around 80 voters had turned up to take advantage of the offer within the first hour, according to a dpa reporter at the scene.
The Duisburg authorities said that a local brewery was supporting the unusual project. Non-alcoholic beverages were also on offer.
Duisburg election official Martin Murrack backed the offer as appealing to voters unimpressed by the usual canvassing efforts.
He noted that the north of the city had shown low turnout in the past. In the 2021 federal elections, just 63.3% voted in the Duisburg II constituency, against a national average of 76.6%.
Germany goes to the polls in parliamentary elections on February 23.
