Polls will close at 6 p.m. local time (12 p.m. EST), and it will likely become clear in the ensuing hours which party has the highest share of votes. Determining who will lead as chancellor will take longer, as it first has to be determined which parties will control the Bundestag, and then the leader is chosen by its members.

Many Germans abroad forced to sit election out Some 3 to 4 million German citizens live outside the country, although not all are eligible to vote. Around 213,000 Germans living abroad had registered to vote in Sunday's election.

The contenders in Germany’s election are making their final appeals to voters. The opposition leader and front-runner vowed Saturday to revive the stagnant economy and defend Europe’s interests in the face of a confrontational U.

Germans were voting in a national election on Sunday that is expected to restore power to Friedrich Merz's conservatives, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is forecast to achieve its best result yet in Europe's ailing economic powerhouse.

Conservative leader and front-runner Friedrich Merz has cast his vote in the German election. Merz is the leader of the center-right Union bloc, which has by far the best chance of forming a new government.

Polls are open across Germany as the world’s third largest economy chooses a new leader to guide it through an era of febrile immigration debates and souring relations with Washington.

Conservative Friedrich Merz is expected to win but the far-right AfD is poised to become second biggest political force.

The far-right AfD likely will score its best ever result as Europe's ailing economic powerhouse lurches rightwards. The conservative CDU/CSU bloc is set to win, but will be unlikely to secure a majority.