Record turnout expected
Voter participation in the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, eastern Germany, was on track to set a new record on Sunday, reaching 65.3% by 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT), according to the regional electoral authority. This compares with just 41% at the same time in the 2021 state election, when around 1.7 million eligible voters were called to the polls.[S1]
The total turnout in the previous election was 60.3%, a figure already surpassed by the latest count released two hours before polling stations closed at 18:00 (16:00 GMT). The highest turnout ever recorded in Saxony-Anhalt state elections was in 1998, eight years after reunification, when 71.5% of eligible citizens voted.[S1]
AfD poised for historic win
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), classified as a "safe case" of right-wing extremism by regional interior authorities, is the favorite in this election. Recent polls give the party up to 43% of the vote, well ahead of its rivals. Such a result could deliver an absolute majority, opening the door to the state premiership for candidate Ulrich Siegmund.[S1]
If the AfD achieves an absolute majority, it would be the first time the far-right party governs a German state in modern history. According to surveys, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of incumbent premier Sven Schulze would secure no more than 23%, while its coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), would get at best 8.5%. The liberal FDP would fail to surpass the 5% threshold needed for parliamentary representation.[S1]
After the AfD and CDU, the third strongest party, according to the latest polls, would be The Left with 11.5%, followed by the Greens with 6% as the fourth force.[S1]
