Electoral Contests at the Regional Level - In Saxony and Thuringia, there's a more prominent involvement or participation.
In the recent state elections held in Thuringia and Saxony, there seems to be a slight increase in voter turnout compared to the 2019 elections. The state election commissioner announced that approximately 55% of eligible voters had cast their ballots in Thuringia by 4:00 PM, surpassing the 2019 turnout of 54.1%. Similar trends were observed in Saxony, where 35.4% of voters had cast their votes, surpassing the 35.1% turnout in 2019. However, the preliminary figures do not include postal votes, and it's estimated that 24.6% of eligible voters will vote by post this year, up from 16.9% in 2019.
Polling stations in both states remained open until 6:00 PM, allowing more voters to cast their ballots.
These elections are seen as a trial run for the federal election in 2025. Polls suggest that the AfD could secure around 30% of the votes in both states, although forming a government remains uncertain due to a lack of partners. The new alliance "Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht" (BSW) aims to participate in the coalition formation in Saxony. Incumbent Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) has a strong chance of securing a second term in Saxony, while incumbent state premier Bodo Ramelow (Left) in Thuringia may face a challenging re-election.
The SPD, Greens, and FDP are expected to suffer significant losses.
Saxony's Minister President stays optimistic
Despite the challenging circumstances, Kretschmer expressed confidence in leading the next state government in Saxony. "It must be the Saxon Union. We are here in Saxony, we won't be told what to do. We'll follow our own Saxon path," Kretschmer stated after casting his vote in Dresden.
Police investigate threat in Thuringian polling station
The elections in Thuringia were relatively uneventful until midday. However, in Gera, the police were called to a polling station due to a threat. A man wearing an AfD T-shirt entered the polling station to vote, prompting the polling station manager to ask him to remove the shirt due to party advertising restrictions. The man complied but left the polling station, threatening to return and expressing dissatisfaction with his treatment. The police took a statement and advised him.
In Erfurt, the police are investigating several instances of political graffiti ("Höcke is a Nazi") near polling stations, which were reportedly applied overnight on Saturday, as an act of criminal damage.
In the midst of Saxony's state elections, Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer expressed confidence in continuing his leadership in Saxony after casting his vote in Dresden. Despite a threat at a polling station in Gera, the elections in Dresden proceeded relatively smoothly.
