Critical elections begin in Germany's Saxony-Anhalt state
The far-right AfD is expected to achieve major success in the critical regional elections held in Saxony-Anhalt.
Voters in Germany have gone to the polls for critical elections in the Saxony-Anhalt region, where the far-right and anti-immigrant Alternative for Deutschland party is expected to secure a major victory.
Opening of Polls and Turnout
Polls opened at 08:00 local time for critical regional elections in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Approximately 1.7 million voters will be able to cast their ballots until 18:00, with initial projections expected to be released immediately after the polls close.
AfD's Standing in the Polls
The anti-immigrant and pro-Moscow Alternative for Deutschland has been leading in the polls for months with vote shares exceeding 40 percent.
The party's lead candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, whose state branch is categorized as far-right by the domestic intelligence agency, aims to achieve an absolute majority.
Status of the Current Government
The eastern German state is currently governed by a coalition of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's center-right Christian Democratic Union and two smaller parties.
State Premier Sven Schulze hopes to reassemble a multi-party coalition in order to remain in power.
Latest Poll Results
The final poll published by public broadcaster ZDF on Thursday revealed that support for the AfD stands at 41 percent.
According to the poll results, the CDU receives 23 percent, the SPD 8.5 percent, and the Greens 6 percent, while two smaller parties failed to cross the 5 percent electoral threshold required to enter parliament.