Turnout Surges in Saxony-Anhalt State Election

Voter turnout in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt surged to 34.7% by midday on Sunday, Sept. 6, up from 22.4% at the same point in 2021. The elevated participation comes as polls project the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), led by Ullrich Siegmund, to take first place with over 40% of the vote. While the AfD is unlikely to win an absolute majority, incumbent CDU Minister-President Sven Schulze faces an acute governing dilemma, having left open the possibility of a minority government tolerated from the outside by the socialist Left Party – reviving historical debate over the 1994 “Magdeburg Model.”