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Hendrik Wüst voting in Rhede near Bocholt
Photo: SASCHA STEINBACH / EPA
The state elections began in North Rhine-Westphalia on Sunday in bright sunshine.
Polling stations open at 8 a.m.
The top candidates from the CDU and SPD, Hendrik Wüst and Thomas Kutschaty, have already cast their votes.
Wüst chose in Rhede near Bocholt, Kuschaty in Essen.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, more than 13 million eligible voters are called upon to elect a new state parliament.
Current opinion polls indicate a head-to-head race.
The CDU is seen at 30 to 32 percent, the SPD at 28 to 29 percent.
The Greens (16 to 18 percent) and the FDP (7 to 8 percent) could be decisive for the formation of a coalition.
The AfD is located at six to eight percent, the left at around three percent, which means that it would miss out on entering the state parliament again.
According to polls, many eligible voters were undecided until recently who to vote for.
The first forecast of the outcome of the election is expected shortly after the polling stations close at 6 p.m.
Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) came to the polling station with his wife Katharina and their one-year-old daughter Philippa.
'We're fine.
It's a great day to vote,' he said cheerfully after ticking the box at around 10:30.
Wüst took over the office of prime minister in the most populous federal state from Armin Laschet at the end of October last, after he had failed in the federal elections as the Union's candidate for chancellor.
Wüst would like to continue governing with the FDP, but the Liberals – like the Greens – are keeping all options open.
Given their strength, the Greens could become the "kingmaker" in forming a government.
There could be several options for the next state government: According to surveys, in addition to a rather unpopular grand coalition of CDU and SPD, a black-green alliance or a Jamaican alliance of CDU, Greens and FDP would be possible.
The SPD could also form a traffic light coalition with the Greens and FDP, as in the federal government.
According to surveys, it does not seem to be enough for a red-green majority.
The fact that North Rhine-Westphalia has long since ceased to be the »home country« of the SPD is shown by the fact that the CDU and SPD have alternated in government in recent years.
In 2017, the CDU and FDP formed a coalition, until 2017 a red-green alliance was at the helm.
vet/dpa
