Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Saxony-Anhalt voters are set to elect a new state parliament in a vote being closely watched across Germany
- The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is polling well ahead of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which has led the state government since 2002
- The result could test Germany’s political ‘firewall’ against the far right and put pressure on CDU Chancellor Friedrich Merz if his party performs badly
It is election day in Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt state. Follow all the developments here.
Skip next section Polls open in Saxony-Anhalt state election09/06/2026September 6, 2026
Polls open in Saxony-Anhalt state election
Polling stations have opened in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, where voters are choosing a new state parliament.
Around 1.7 million people aged 18 and over are eligible to vote. Polling stations opened at 8 a.m. local time (0600 GMT/UTC) and will close at 6 p.m., when counting begins.
Voters are electing the members of the new state parliament in Magdeburg.
They can cast two votes: one for a direct constituency candidate and one for a political party.
The new parliament will subsequently elect the state premier.
The state returning officer expects a preliminary final result in the early hours of Monday morning.
https://p.dw.com/p/5LgyKSkip next section ANALYSIS: Why is this election so closely watched?09/06/2026September 6, 2026
ANALYSIS: Why is this election so closely watched?
Matthew Moore Political correspondent
I have not experienced a more polarizing election since Brexit or Trump vs. Hillary Clinton in 2016. That is because the stakes are so high.
For a number of reasons, the decision voters in Saxony-Anhalt reach today is being watched closely in Berlin and beyond:
- Watershed moment: Should the AfD secure an absolute majority, it would be the first time a right-wing populist party has won power in a state in Germany in the postwar era.
- Firewall: Should the AfD not secure an absolute majority, the focus will turn to the conservative CDU. Pressure will mount on the party to rethink its longstanding policy of not governing with or passing laws with the far-right AfD or far-left Left Party. Such a debate risks splitting the CDU.
- Chancellor: A dire result for the conservatives may lead to calls for the deeply unpopular Chancellor Friedrich Merz to be replaced. In CDU circles in Berlin, the talk is of an election that could ‘change the republic.’
https://p.dw.com/p/5KVnNSkip next section Saxony-Anhalt heads to the polls as coalition math takes center stage09/06/2026September 6, 2026
Saxony-Anhalt heads to the polls as coalition math takes center stage
Saxony-Anhalt, one of Germany’s 16 federal states, boasts a rich cultural and historical heritage.
Home to around 2.1 million people, it is one of Germany’s most sparsely populated states. Only two cities, the state capital Magdeburg, and the city of Halle, have more than 200,000 inhabitants.
Today, voters will elect a new state parliament.
The center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has led the state government since 2002 as the leading party in governing coalitions. But the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has dominated polls in the run-up to the vote, typically drawing support in the 40% range, well beyond the CDU’s low-to-mid-20% range.
If polling holds, the AfD would become Saxony-Anhalt’s largest party for the first time. Every other major party has ruled out allying with it, meaning it would likely need to secure an outright majority in order to govern. A broader coalition made up of other parties is the other potential outcome.
A key thing to watch when exit polls and preliminary results are released tonight is whether smaller parties fall below the 5% threshold and lose representation.
Under election law, parties must obtain at least 5% of party-list votes (known as second votes) to secure representation.
This would mean more seats in the state parliament for the remaining parties, including the AfD, on a proportional basis. That could allow the AfD to secure an outright majority if enough smaller parties fail to clear the threshold.
https://p.dw.com/p/5KY16Skip next section Welcome to our coverage 09/06/2026September 6, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Wesley Dockery Editor
Normally, there is not much new to report on polling day. But as voters in Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt cast their ballots in a key state election, we’ll explain why this vote is being watched so closely.
We’ll remind you what the main candidates said in the run-up to today’s election and bring you insights from our correspondents, who have spent months covering the parties and speaking to voters across the state. Once the exit polls and results start coming in, we’ll provide analysis of what they mean.
Throughout the day, we’ll also bring you live coverage from our television broadcasts and social media channels, along with background articles and videos to help make sense of it all.
Whether you’re following the election closely or just catching up, we’ll help you stay on top of the key moments and what they could mean for Germany.
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