Server underwent cyber assault during Sunday's election results
On Sunday evening, election night in Münsterland, Germany, a technical issue arose with the election presentation software Vote-Manager, affecting 28 communities managed by the municipal IT service provider Citeq. The problem was traced to a municipal data center in Kamp-Lintfort.
Despite the initial concern, cybercrime specialists from the police found no evidence of an attack in Münsterland. A spokesperson for the data center confirmed this, adding that the transmission, collection, and evaluation of election data were not affected.
In a surprising turn of events, it was discovered that the server capacity issues in Münsterland were not related to the problems experienced in the districts of Kleve, Wesel, and Viersen, where approximately three dozen communities also faced difficulties displaying election results.
The brief disruption in the display of results, lasting between 18:00 and 18:15 for a few minutes, did not affect the overall election process. The attack was reported first by the Rheinische Post, and it occurred on September 15, 2025, at 17:35, according to radio news reports, which will delve deeper into this topic on Monday, 15.09., at 18:00 and 18:45.
It is important to note that no unauthorized access to the system was gained, and it was not a hacker attack. For more precise information, individuals are advised to contact the local administration or the election officer in Kamp-Lintfort directly.
In Germany, the responsibility for the operation of data centers or the management of election processes often lies with the Landeswahlleiter (state election officers) or the respective city or district administrations. If issues arise during the 2025 election in Kamp-Lintfort, it would likely be the responsibility of the local election authority or the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, where Kamp-Lintfort is located. This could involve the Landesamt für Informationstechnik NRW (State Office for Information Technology, North Rhine-Westphalia) or other specialised IT service providers responsible for the technical operation.
