Polling stations opened on Sunday at 8 : 00 am ( 0600 GMT ) for voters to cast their ballots and decide the balance of power in the eastern German states of Thuringia and Saxony . The state parliamentary elections , which each hold considerable power over regional matters , could reverberate nationwide . Polling stations in both states are open until 6 : 00 pm . The main focus is on how well the far - right Alternative for Germany AfD , which could become the strongest party in a state election for the first time , performs . The three parties in Chancellor Olaf Scholz ' s squabbling and unpopular national coalition , meanwhile , appear headed for further miserable results that could deepen fractures among ministers , with a year to go until the next nationwide parliamentary elections in September 2025 . Polls ahead of Sunday ' s election have put the AfD in the clear lead in Thuringia and narrowly trailing the centre - right Christian Democrats ( CDU ) in Saxony . The firebrand regional leader of the AfD in the state of Thuringia , Bj ö rn H ö cke , a former history teacher , has been convicted and fined twice this year for using a banned Nazi slogan . He is still facing another pending criminal case on a charge of incitement . Domestic intelligence has categorized the AfD in Thuringia and Saxony as right - wing extremist and is monitoring the party as a suspected extremist group in both Brandenburg and the national level . dpa sku gge xxde mls Source: The Namibia News Agency