Germans go to the polls
On Sunday (September 22, 2013) German citizens elected a new parliament. Angela Merkel and Peer Steinbrück competed for chancellorship. Polling stations closed at 6 p.m.
Ballots submitted
German citizens went to the polls this Sunday (September 22, 2013) to elect the 18th parliament. Some 61.8 million eligible voters decided about the composition of the Bundestag. They could choose from 34 political parties with some 4,500 candidates. First predictions see the CDU/CSU, SPD, the Left Party and the Greens represented in parliament again.
Some parties may be kicked out
Some parties are still hoping they will not miss the 5-percent threshold that is needed to be represented in parliament. That includes the current junior coalition partner, FDP. At the last federal election in 2009, the FDP had a record result of 14.6 percent of votes. But support slumped to 3.3 percent at the regional elections in Bavaria one week ago.
Angela Merkel is confident
Angela Merkel (CDU) has been chancellor for eight years and wants to keep her job. She has governed in a coalition between the CDU/CSU and the liberal FDP party. Merkel started her career in 1989 as a member of one of the first democratic parties in the GDR. She later became a CDU member.
The chancellor votes
Angela Merkel seemed confident and smiled at the cameras when she cast her ballot at the polling station at Berlin's Humboldt University. Preliminary predictions suggest she is likely to remain the world's most powerful woman.
Steinbrück in competitive mood
Between 2005 and 2009, Peer Steinbrück was finance minister in the grand coalition between the SPD and CDU under Chancellor Merkel. The 66-year-old Social Democratic contender has said he doesn't want to rule the country together with Merkel "ever again." It's not yet clear whether Steinbrück's wish will come true.
The contender votes
Peer Steinbrück had a smile on his face and appeared to be in good spirits as he cast his ballot on Sunday afternoon at a polling station at Bonn's Friedrich-List vocational college. He was accompanied by his wife Gertrud and said he'd had a good night's sleep and that he had enjoyed the election campaign.
The president also cast his vote
Polling stations across Germany opened at 8 a.m. Among the voters were prominent personalities like German President Joachim Gauck, who cast his vote in Berlin. He is not a member of any party and is not allowed to make public statements in favor of any party, but he did call on German voters to cast their ballots.
Volunteers help out
Like every time, the federal election this year depended on the help of assistants at polling stations. Many of them were public officials whose bosses decided at which station they were needed. But voluntary helpers were just as important. They prepared the polling stations, put up information signs and answered enquiries.
Secrecy is crucial
Votes in Germany are confidential. That's why polling stations have booths in which eligible voters cast their ballot. The first vote goes to a direct candidate in voter's constituency, the second one goes to a political party.
In it goes
After voters have cast their ballot in the booth, they have to fold it in a way that makes it impossible for others to see which box they have ticked. They also have to make sure they don't accidentally make it invalid - by ticking too many boxes or by scribbling something on it.
Federal election just one of two
Apart from the federal election, another election took place this Sunday: voters in the state of Hesse cast their ballot for their regional parliament at the same time. Hesse is situated at the geographical heart of Germany and has been run by a coalition between the CDU and FDP.
Immigrants have become important voters
Every German citizen who is older than 18 is eligible to vote. What counts is citizenship, and not somebody's ethnic background. A growing number of German voters has an immigrant background: around 5.6 million. Some make it to top party ranks as politicians. An example is the top Green Party candidate for the state of Hesse, Tarek Al-Wazir, whose father is from Yemen.