Voter turnout in Germany has surged today, with participation numbers already higher than the last federal election four years ago, according to initial reports. By 2 PM local time, around 52% of eligible voters across the country had cast their ballots, significantly higher than the 36.5% recorded at the same time in 2021.
Key states like North Rhine-Westphalia, Thuringia, and Saxony-Anhalt reported impressive early voter engagement. In North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state, turnout hit 63% by 2 PM, showing a notable increase compared to 2021.
In Saxony-Anhalt, 52.6% of voters participated by the same hour, up from just 36.7% four years ago. Thuringia also saw a marked rise, with 59.2% of voters turning up compared to 34.5% last time.
However, not all states followed the same trend. In Saxony, turnout reached 39.6%, slightly up from 36.4% in 2021, indicating some regional variance.
The surge in early voting suggests strong interest in today’s election, as Germans flock to polling stations to make their voices heard.
