Translated with AI
A majority of Hamburg residents voted against hosting the Olympic Games in a referendum. The vote took place on May 31 and resulted in a rejection of the Olympic bid.
According to German media, even before the final vote count was completed, Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschencher declared the outcome of the vote was already clear. According to published data, 54.9% of referendum participants opposed holding the Olympics, while 45.1% supported the initiative.
Following the announcement of the results, Peter Tsentscher informed German sports organisations that Hamburg was withdrawing its bid to host the Olympic Games.
The mayor expressed regret over the voting results, but emphasized that the referendum results are binding on government bodies.
A total of 1,315,800 city residents over the age of 16 were eligible to vote. According to the electoral commission, approximately 650,000 people took part in the vote, representing 49.5% of the total electorate.
This is the second time that Hamburg residents have rejected the idea of hosting the Olympic Games. In a similar referendum in 2015, 51.6% of voters voted against the bid, while 48.4% supported the initiative.
Following Hamburg's withdrawal from the bid to host the 2036, 2040 or 2044 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, the main contenders for German candidate status remain Munich, Berlin and the Rhine-Ruhr region, with its centre in Cologne.
The German Olympic Sports Union intends to make a final decision on the German candidate on September 26.
