Germany election live updates: Voters head to the polls to elect a new parliament

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Updated 6:10 AM EST, February 23, 2025

German voters are heading to polls to elect a new parliament that will determine how the country is run for the next four years.

Here’s what to know:

• What happens on election day? Polling stations open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (0700 GMT-1700 GMT). Germans can also vote by postal ballot, but their ballot must arrive by the time polling stations close on election day to be counted.
• When will we know the winner? Vote-counting will begin immediately after voting ends, and the general picture of the outcome should be clear very quickly thanks to exit polls. A final official result is expected early Monday.
• Who are the contenders? Four candidates are running to be Germany’s next leader: incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz, of the center-left Social Democrats; Friedrich Merz of the mainstream conservative Christian Democratic Union party; current Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, of the environmentalist Greens; and Alice Weidel, of the far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, or AfD.

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