Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, February 23, 2025
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, February 23, 2025
Polls open in high-stakes German elections, with conservatives strong favorites
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A ballot box is sealed with the electoral seal of the German State of Bavaria in Memmelsdorf, Germany, Feb. 23, 2025, during the national election. (Pia Bayer/dpa via AP)
Polling stations open for pivotal German elections, with the conservatives the strong favorites after a campaign rocked by a far-right surge and the return of US President Donald Trump.
Voting got underway at 8 a.m. (0700 GMT) with more than 59 million Germans eligible to cast ballots and first estimates based on exit polls expected after polls close at 6 p.m. (1700 GMT).
The race pits the incumbent chancellor against the opposition leader, the vice chancellor and — for the first time — a leader of a far-right party.
Germany’s electoral system rarely gives any party an absolute majority and opinion polls suggest that no party is anywhere near one this time. Two or more parties will most likely form a coalition in the coming weeks.
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