Germany’s far-right AfD eyes landmark state election victory as Saxony-Anhalt votes

BERLIN — Voting in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt began on Sunday in a closely watched election that could see the Alternative for Germany (AfD) become the first far-right party ⁠to take power at a state level since World War Two.

BERLIN — Voting in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt began on Sunday in a closely watched election that could see the Alternative for Germany (AfD) become the first far-right party ⁠to take power at a state level since World War Two.

Under its 35-year-old lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund, the party has been polling ahead for months, and there is a genuine chance the AfD could take an absolute majority on Sunday evening, particularly if several smaller parties fail to clear Germany’s 5% threshold to enter parliament.

The exact percentage that would constitute an absolute majority will depend on how many parties overcome that hurdle, but Siegmund has said his aim is to reach 45% or more of the vote.

The vote is seen as a barometer for the government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has attempted to chip away at the AfD’s popularity by taking a tougher ⁠line on migration and security.

About 1.7 million voters have until 6 p.m. (12 p.m. ET) to cast ​their ⁠ballot before polls close, with initial results expected shortly after. State election officials will release their first estimates on turnout figures starting at noon.