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In Cologne, among other places, you can now vote in a garden center
Photo: Marius Becker / dpa
5/15/20223:06:00 PM
Both top candidates cast their votes in their home communities today, to a great deal of media attention.
Wüst came to the polling station in his hometown of Rhede with his wife Katharina and, just like when he was inaugurated a few months ago, pushed their one-year-old daughter Philippa in front of him in a blue stroller.
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.
SPD leader Thomas Kutschaty and his wife Christina came to the primary school in Essen-Borbeck, where he had been enrolled in 1974, to vote.
He is counting on the SPD becoming the strongest force in North Rhine-Westphalia, said the Social Democrat.
5/15/20223:01:00 PM
A black-yellow coalition is currently ruling in Düsseldorf, with a majority of just one vote.
After the last state election in 2017, Armin Laschet replaced the SPD Prime Minister Hannelore Kraft, whose state association had achieved the worst result since 1947 at the time.
When Laschet moved into the Bundestag last autumn as a failed candidate for Union Chancellor, the then Minister of Transport Wüst took over the office of Prime Minister.
5/15/20222:56:00PM
The polling stations are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, and the first forecast of the outcome of the election is expected shortly thereafter.
Around 13 million people are entitled to vote.
In recent opinion polls, a head-to-head race emerged between the CDU with Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst and the SPD with top candidate Thomas Kutschaty.
5/15/20222:46:00PM
Like last Sunday in Schleswig-Holstein, some voters will have to make a decision today: enjoy good weather or actively participate in democracy?
In the most populous federal state, at least a higher voter turnout than five years ago was evident by midday.
According to state returning officer Wolfgang Schellen, almost 36 percent of those entitled to vote had taken part in the election by 12 noon.
2017 was about 34 percent at the same time.
5/15/20221:45:58 PM
Welcome to the live ticker for the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia.
In the coming hours we will try to provide you with all the important information here.
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