Saarland election: SPD clearly ahead in polls - postal votes in focus

Created: 2022-03-27Updated: 2022-03-27 5:19 PM

By: Karolin Schäfer, Max Schäfer, Joshua Schößler

The tension is rising in the Saarland election.

Things can get tight for the parties in the federal government, the FDP and the Greens.

The news ticker.

• In the state election in Saarland* you can vote on Sunday (March 27th, 2022) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

  Postal voting* is possible beforehand.

• The top candidates* Tobias Hans (CDU*) and Anke Rehlinger (SPD*) have already cast their votes.

• All information about the Saarland election can be found here in the news ticker.

<<< Update Ticker >>>

+++ 5.16 p.m

.: Although far fewer eligible voters cast their votes in the Saarland election than at the same time five years ago, the state election management does not yet expect a lower turnout.

An increased number of postal voters is expected;

these are not included in the voter turnout on Sunday afternoon.

That said a spokeswoman for the state election authority.

For the Greens, the FDP and the AfD, who are all worried about entering the Saarland parliament, the postal votes could bring tension.

Update from Sunday, March 27th, 2022, 4.40 p.m .:

The tension before the Saarland election is increasing.

Those entitled to vote in the smallest German state have a little more than an hour to put their cross.

While the lead of Anke Rehlinger's SPD was clear in the last polls before the election, other parties in the federal government must tremble.

In the last ZDF poll before the election, the Greens were 5.5 percent, the FDP just behind with 5 percent.

In the first election of their entry into the federal government, the Liberals are therefore threatened with defeat.

Especially in view of the easing of the corona measures, which are advocated by numerous FDP politicians, the state elections in Saarland can therefore be a directional decision.

The same applies to the AfD and the left, who have stumbled as a result of fights between the wings.

FDP candidate Angelika Hießrich-Pete casts her vote in the Saarland election.

© Harald Tittel/dpa

Saarland election: SPD hopes for victory - first data on election turnout

Update from Sunday, March 27th, 2022, 3:48 p.m .:

Around a quarter of the more than 750,000 eligible voters in Saarland cast their votes at the polling station.

This was reported by the German Press Agency (dpa) on Sunday afternoon, based on a random survey in 49 constituencies.

By 2 p.m., voter turnout without postal voters was 28.5 percent, said the state returning officer.

In the last Saarland election in 2017, the proportion without postal voters was 32.6 percent around the same time.

In view of the increasing proportion of postal voters, it is not yet possible to make a forecast as to whether the turnout in the current election will be lower or higher, a spokeswoman for the dpa is quoted as saying.

Data on voter turnout, including postal votes, is not yet available.

Saarland election: SPD candidate Rehlinger has voted

Update from Sunday, March 27th, 2022, 1:30 p.m.:

In the meantime, Anke Rehlinger, top candidate of the SPD, has also cast her vote for the state elections in Saarland.

She came to the BBZ Hochwald polling station in her home town of Nunkirchen by bicycle.

According to polls, the 45-year-old is clearly ahead of CDU competitor Tobias Hans.

State elections in Saarland: Tobias Hans praises the support of the CDU

Update from Sunday, March 27th, 2022, 11.45 a.m .:

The Saarland Prime Minister has emphasized the backing of his party in view of the state elections.

"We did everything, my wife supported me a lot, and the CDU Saar fought like one, that was really good for me and gave me strength," said Tobias Hans after casting his vote in his home town, the Neunkirchen district of Münchwies.

Now it is up to the citizens to decide the election.

More than 750,000 voters can determine the composition of Parliament.

Opinion polls see SPD competitor Anke Rehlinger clearly ahead of Hans.

Hans has been Prime Minister of Saarland since 2018.

After Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer went to Berlin, he filled the office.

The 44-year-old father of three is running for the first time as a top candidate in the state elections.

Update from Sunday, March 27th, 2022, 10:50 a.m.:

The polling stations in Saarland are open until 6:00 p.m.

Until then, voters can go to the polls.

In the meantime, the incumbent Prime Minister and CDU candidate Tobias Hans has also cast his vote for the state elections in Saarland.

A photo shows him with his wife Tanja at the ballot box.

According to the survey, however, SPD top candidate Anke Rehlinger is ahead.

In the event of an election victory, it could mathematically be enough for red-green, red-yellow or a red-yellow-green traffic light government.

However, only if the Greens and/or FDP manage to jump over the five percent hurdle.

Update from Sunday, March 27th, 2022, 8.45 a.m .:

The polling stations are open: The 2022 election year will be heralded with the state elections in Saarland.

The Saarlanders are the first to vote after the federal elections in autumn 2021.

According to opinion polls, SPD candidate Anke Rehlinger is well ahead of CDU competitor Tobias Hans.

In the event of an election victory, Rehlinger would be the first SPD prime minister in the Saar.

The Saarland election is also being followed in Berlin.

Should Rehlinger win the votes, it could be seen as confirmation of the traffic light coalition's course in Berlin.

In addition, the question arises as to whether the Greens and FDP can also benefit from government participation in the federal government.

Meanwhile, the Christian Democrats and the incumbent Prime Minister Tobias Hans are hoping for the new party leader Friedrich Merz, who could bring an upswing.

How the election is decided will only become clear in the evening.

State elections in Saarland: polling stations are open

Update from Sunday, March 27th, 2022, 8 a.m.:

Today is the day, a new state parliament will be elected in Saarland.

SPD challenger Anke Rehlinger is the clear favorite for the office of Prime Minister.

What is certain is that the state election promises to be exciting.

The CDU could lose its power to the SPD*.

According to numerous surveys, a change of power is imminent.

Prime Minister Tobias Hans (CDU) declared on Saturday that he wanted to fight for every vote (see update from March 26, 2022, 12:30 p.m.).

Polling stations open at 8:00 a.m. and close at 6:00 p.m.

You can follow all current developments in the state elections in Saarland in this news ticker.

State election in Saarland: AfD is divided in the fight for five percent

Update from Saturday, March 26th, 2022, 4.45 p.m .:

While the CDU is trying to win back the voters’ favor shortly before the Saarland elections and the SPD wants to defend its lead, the Greens, FDP, Left and also the AfD have to get around five percent -hurdle fear.

Wing fights* are the cause, especially for the AfD and the left.

The AfD in particular is divided.

The inner-party quarrels have led to the right-wing party running without a top candidate and a state list for the state elections.

The list was withdrawn in January by opponents of the actual candidate and former faction leader Josef Dörr, who is accused of a number of crimes.

Among other things, the 83-year-old is said to have manipulated member recordings and recruited neo-Nazis.

At the top of his opponents are Christoph Schaufert and Carsten Becker, of all people, who are in first place on the AfD constituency lists in the Neunkirchen (Schaufert) and Saarlouis (Becker) constituencies.

So both have a good chance of getting into the state parliament via the mandates of the district lists.

There they would have to work with Dörr, who heads the AfD in Saarbrücken.

Although Josef Dörr's opponents, who, according to the Saarbrücker Zeitung, also include his son Michel Dörr, rule out cooperation, AfD head of state Christian Wirth firmly expects an agreement after the state elections.

When it comes to a "pot of money," the three would pull themselves together.

To make this possible, AfD federal spokesman Tino Chrupalla recently traveled to Saarlouis to promote a consolidation of the state association.

In any case, it currently looks as if the reorganization would have to happen quickly: In polls before the election, the AfD is at 6.5 percent and would thus get into the state parliament.

State elections in Saarland: "Fight for every vote" - CDU hopes for a comeback

Update from Saturday, March 26th, 2022, 12.30 p.m .:

Despite the SPD’s good poll numbers before the state elections in Saarland, top candidate Anke Rehlinger warned against rejoicing too soon.

"You really have to wait for election day and the count," she said at a campaign event on Saturday.

Nevertheless, the social democrat was optimistic on her campaign tour from Illingen via Eppelborn, St. Wendel, Saarlouis, Saarbrücken to Völklingen.

There is "a good chance of making a lot of votes out of this good mood," said Rehlinger of the German Press Agency.

She will be on the road until Saturday evening.

CDU candidate Tobias Hans also does not want to admit defeat before the state elections.

"Many are still undecided.

I fight for every vote,” said Hans.

It is now important to convince as many as possible to vote for the CDU in the last few meters.

Hans warned supporters of the previous grand coalition: “Anyone who wants Groko and votes for the SPD will wake up with a traffic light.

Only with the CDU can there be stability and clear conditions.”

State elections in Saarland: SPD and CDU in the final sprint of the election campaign

Update from Saturday, March 26th, 2022, 8.30 a.m.:

Shortly before the state elections in Saarland on Sunday, the parties are going into the final sprint of the election campaign and are campaigning for votes.

Both SPD top candidate Anke Rehlinger and CDU candidate Tobias Hans will appear in various cities across the country on Saturday.

Rehlinger received support from the SPD federal chairwoman Saskia Esken and the Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer.

For the social democrat, things are looking good in the race for the head of government.

Polls have seen Anke Rehlinger ahead of her CDU competitor Tobias Hans for weeks.

Shortly before the election, the lead increased even more (see update from March 25, 2022, 8:30 a.m.).

However, whether the SPD will appoint the prime minister for the first time since 1999 will be decided by the more than 750,000 eligible voters.

State elections in Saarland: SPD significantly increases its lead over CDU

Update from Friday, March 25th, 2022, 8.30 a.m .:

If the election results are like this survey, the SPD can go calmly into the state elections in Saarland on Sunday (03/27/2022)*: According to the ZDF* Politbarometer Extra, the Social Democrats are leading Anke Rehlinger with 41 percent well ahead of the CDU with 28 percent.

However, it is also unclear which of the smaller parties will make it into the state parliament.

The Left comes to 4 percent, the AfD to 6.5 percent, the Greens to 5.5 percent and the FDP to 5 percent.

Mathematically, according to the Politbarometer, a coalition of the SPD with the CDU or with the Greens would currently be able to win a majority.

The survey was conducted by the Mannheim research group Wahlen.

State elections in Saarland 2022 on Sunday: All information in the news ticker

First report from Friday, March 25th, 2022: 

Frankfurt/Saarbrücken - On Sunday, March 27th, 2022, a new state parliament will be elected in Saarland.

Citizens can then cast their votes between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. at the polling stations.

All German citizens who have reached the age of 18 on the day of the election, have lived in Saarland for at least three months, otherwise usually reside there and are not disqualified from voting are entitled to vote.

However, the voting citizens do not necessarily have to go to the polls in order to make use of their democratic right to vote.

You also have the option of postal voting.

First statements on the turnout* can be expected during the course of Sunday.

State election 2022 in Saarland: Will Anke Rehlinger or Tobias Hans win?

In the state elections in 2022*, elections will be held not only in Saarland, but later also in Schleswig-Holstein, North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony.

Deputy Prime Minister Anke Rehlinger (SPD) and the incumbent Prime Minister Tobias Hans (CDU) will be running in the state elections in Saarland – they are currently the top candidates.

Tobias Hans struggled with a corona infection * during the election campaign phase: Now the incumbent Prime Minister of Saarland can take part in events again.

The government spokesman Alexander Zeyer reported on Thursday (03/24/2022).

Previously, Hans had gone on an election campaign tour as #RobiTobi - in the Corona pandemic* it's time to get creative.

According to current polls, Anke Rehlinger from the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) is currently ahead with 34 percent of the votes.

However, in December it still had four percentage points more.

Anke Rehlinger is Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Economic Affairs, Labour, Energy and Transport.

She is also chairwoman of the SPD Saarland.

The first extrapolations and forecasts* are usually made after the polling stations have closed for voters around 6 p.m.

State elections in Saarland in 2022 will probably decide between the CDU and the SPD

Although other parties such as the Left*, the Greens* or the FDP* have also entered candidates, the election will probably be between these two.

However, the final outcome of the election is still uncertain.

The first results* can be expected from 9 p.m.

Whether there will be any more surprises will become clear on election Sunday at the latest.

The state elections in Saarland can be followed live on TV and in the live stream*.

(jos/ms/kas with dpa)