Voter turnout in Lower Saxony lower than 2017

In sunny autumn weather, numerous people in Lower Saxony made their way to a polling station on Sunday. At 4:30 p.m., the participation in the state election was 48.30 percent, as the state election management announced. Five years earlier, the figure was 53.38 percent. Polling stations are open until 6 p.m.

Postal voters, many of whom are expected this year, are not included in the interim results. Before the election, it was questionable whether concerns about the energy crisis would motivate many voters to vote or whether they would be discouraged.

In the 2017 election, the turnout was 63.1 percent, after 59.4 percent in 2013. The highest figure so far was 84.4 percent in 1974, the lowest was recorded in 2008 with 57.1 percent.

According to a forecast, Prime Minister Stephan Weil's SPD emerged as the clear winner in the state elections in Lower Saxony. According to the ARD forecast, the Social Democrats received 33.5 percent of the votes in the election, putting them ahead of the CDU led by top candidate and Deputy Prime Minister Bernd Althusmann, who got 27.5 percent. The Greens came in third with 14 percent, followed by the AfD with 11.5 percent, while the FDP with five percent had to tremble about getting back into the state parliament in Hanover and the left with two and a half percent failed again at the five percent hurdle.

By midday, slightly fewer voters had cast their votes than in 2017. At 12:30 p.m., participation was 24.59 percent, according to the state election authority. Five years earlier, the figure was 26.91 percent. Postal voters, many of whom are expected this year, are not yet included in the interim results.

The top candidates of the SPD and CDU in Lower Saxony, Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) and his deputy Bernd Althusmann (CDU), cast their votes in the morning. Because voted in Hanover. “We hope for a strong turnout. And we hope for a strong result for the SPD," said the SPD politician. When asked what he was going to do now, Weil replied: "First of all, I'm going to have a nice breakfast."

Althusmann cast his vote in Südergellersen near Lüneburg. He spoke of a lucky day: "After all, my daughter turned twelve today, which means we had every reason to celebrate this morning." It is now a matter of governing the country stably in a serious crisis. "That's why I hope and I'm counting on a strong CDU, which I want to be the strongest force in Lower Saxony tonight from 6 p.m.."

So far, a similar number of voters have cast their votes as they did five years ago. At 10 a.m., the turnout was 7.44 percent, as the state election management announced. Five years earlier, the figure was 8.21 percent. Postal voters, many of whom are expected this year, are not yet included in the interim results.

In the 2017 election, the turnout was 63.1 percent, after 59.4 percent in 2013. The highest figure so far was 84.4 percent in 1974, the lowest was recorded in 2008 with 57.1 percent.

The state elections in Lower Saxony have begun. The polling stations have been open since 8 a.m. and voting is possible until 6 p.m. Almost 6.1 million people are entitled to vote. In the most recent polls, the SPD with Prime Minister Stephan Weil, who is aiming for a third term, was just ahead of the CDU with challenger Bernd Althusmann.