Saxony-Anhalt elects new state parliament: AfD could be involved in government for the first time

1,788,930 Saxony-Anhalt residents are called on September 6th to vote on the future composition of the state parliament.

The election is being watched with particular attention because, with the AfD, a party that is classified by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution as “certainly right-wing extremist” could be involved in forming a government for the first time. She could even get an absolute majority.

You can find all articles on the topic on our topic page about the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt.

In addition to our own research, we also use material from the news agencies AP, AFP, epd, dpa, KNA and Reuters.

Katrin Scheib

The mastermind behind Ulrich Siegmund

If there is an AfD-led state government in Saxony-Anhalt in the future, Hans-Thomas Tillschneider will be considered a candidate for a ministerial post. The deputy head of the regional association has shaped the positioning of his party. His comments often sound crass, writes my colleague Mariam Lau. For example, the sentence was uttered: “Anyone who tries to judge the AfD will be judged by the AfD.” So who is this man who describes himself as “Ultra-Ossi”? And what is his standing within his own party?

Read the full portrait here:

Catherine James

What you should know about tactical voting

In order to prevent the AfD from gaining an absolute majority, initiatives such as Tactical Voting are calling for voting behavior to be adjusted. Voters should not cast their vote for the otherwise preferred party, but rather specifically support a party that threatens to fail at the five percent hurdle. The focus here is on parties that clearly rule out cooperation with the AfD, such as the SPD and the Greens. At first glance, this seems like a pragmatic model for protecting democratic institutions, writes my colleague Julius Kölzer. But at second glance, it poses a problem in democratic theory.

You can read the whole debate and what you should consider when choosing tactically here:

Katharina Benninghoff

When will we know more?

At 12 p.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. the state election management wants to collect the preliminary voter turnout. The polling stations are open until 6 p.m. The counting then begins. The first interim results for the constituencies are expected from 7 p.m. The provisional official final result should be available on election night or early Monday morning.

A ballot box in the polling station of AfD top candidate Ulrich Siegmund in Tangermünde. Michael Kappeler/dpa

Katrin Scheib

Vote? Today? Long done.

Many eligible voters in Saxony-Anhalt will not go to the polling station to vote today. Instead, they filled out their ballot paper at home and sent it in: According to the State Statistical Office, interest in postal voting was so great this time that around 335,000 people had already ordered and received their postal voting documents by August 25th. This corresponds to around 20 percent of those eligible to vote. The AfD had previously called for postal voting to be abolished.

You can read more about the topic here:

Catherine James

What you should know about the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt

What are the chances of the democratic parties to prevent a government of the AfD, which is classified as "secure right-wing extremist", under its top candidate Ulrich Siegmund? Who else is up for election in Saxony-Anhalt, how is the state doing and what are the most important issues in the election campaign?

My colleagues Alena Kammer and Yannick von Eisenhart Rothe have compiled the key data:

Sarah Kohler

Almost 1.7 million people are called to vote today. Fabian Strauch/dpa

Saxony-Anhalt elects a new state parliament

Which party will get the most seats in the state parliament in Magdeburg? Will the AfD get an absolute majority with its top candidate Ulrich Siegmund? And how is the CDU doing under the current Prime Minister Sven Schulze? In Saxony-Anhalt, around 1.69 million eligible voters are called to vote for a new state parliament today.

In this live blog we will keep you up to date on the current developments in the country, voter turnout, the results of the candidates and parties as well as the federal political implications.

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