Ulrich Siegmund, top candidate in the Saxony-Anhalt state election for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, speaks to media after casting his vote for the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt in Tangermuende, eastern Germany on September 6, 2026.
German voters headed to the polls Sunday for a crucial regional election in the ex-communist east where the far-right, anti-immigration and Moscow-friendly AfD is expected to win easily.
The Alternative for Germany, polling at over 40 percent for months in Saxony-Anhalt, even has its sights on winning its first-ever state government, although this is far from assured.
Polls opened at 8:00 am local time (0600 GMT) and some 1.7 million voters have until 6:00 pm (1600 GMT) to cast their ballots, with first projections expected shortly after.
The small state is now ruled by the centre-right CDU of Chancellor Friedrich Merz in coalition with two smaller parties, and its state premier Sven Schulze hopes to build again a multi-party coalition to cling to power.
