Germany considers whether electoral data were given on Twitter

as German election officials said Monday they are investigating whether to exit poll surveys were posted on Twitter before the closing of the polls and could have an appeal on the outcome in the case had violated the law.
"We are investigating the facts," said the deputy electoral Korzen-Uwe Krüger in the state of Saxony in the east, where the investigation began.
On Sunday elections were held in three states - Saxony, Saarland and Thuringia-before the general elections to be held on September 27.
It seems that the conservatives of Chancellor Angela Merkel hold power in Saxony, but it is doubtful that it will yield well in the other two.
Korzen-Krüger said that preliminary findings - based on polls or not to exit polls - appeared on the Twitter social network about an hour before polling stations closed at 1800 local time (1600 GMT), which could have influenced the outcome.
"There could be an appeal against the election," he told Reuters.
Polls to exit polls, which often publish private institutions, usually delivered to the party leaders hours before the close of polling.
The election commissioners are concerned that the results of the general elections of September 27 could also be in jeopardy if the exit poll surveys are made public before the close of polling.
"The premature publication of exit poll surveys is a breakdown of law both in the three states as a general level - an offense that is punishable by (a fine) to 50,000 euros," said Monday the office general elections.
In May the same concern arose after the reelection of the president, the conservative Horst Khler, by the Federal Assembly, when some deputies revealed the voting results through messages on Twitter minutes before the official announcement.
Saxon authorities are still trying to figure out if Twitter messages on Sunday were based on exit polls and cast doubt on whether legal action.
Korzen-Krüger said a Twitter user, a conservative local politician, made an accurate forecast of the outcome in Saxony, where his party expected to win, just hoping to do in general on September 27.