Since 8 a.m. polling stations in Baden‑Württemberg have been open for the state election. Around 7.7 million people are eligible to vote – a record number for the region, including roughly 650 000 first‑time voters. For the first time, every citizen aged 16 and older can decide on the composition of the parliament, as the voting age was lowered by two years after the previous election. The state parliament will have a minimum of 120 members elected for a five‑year term in 70 electoral districts.
The polls already suggest that the current coalition of the Greens and the CDU will be renewed, but it remains uncertain which side will ultimately lead the new government. Incumbent minister‑president Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) will not run again. The CDU, headed by top candidate Manuel Hagel, had dominated the polls for months, but their support has since converged with that of the Greens, who aim to install Cem Özdemir as minister‑president. According to the latest ZDF Politbarometer, both parties sit at 28 percent each. The AfD, led by state chair Markus Frohnmaier, trails at 18 percent. The SPD is quoted just below 10 percent, while the FDP and The Left hover just above the five‑percent threshold.
Polling stations close at 6 p.m.; shortly afterward, exit polls and projections are expected to be released.
