Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania vote in German state elections
Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are voting in state elections on September 20, with polls closing at 6 p.m. local time and the CDU’s performance under scrutiny.
In short
- Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are voting in state elections on September 20, with polls closing at 6 p.m.
- local time and the CDU’s performance under scrutiny.
Voters in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania went to the polls on September 20, 2026, in two German state elections drawing scrutiny of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
Polling stations in both states are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time, according to their election authorities. Berlin is also electing its district assemblies. The Guardian and Al Jazeera reported that roughly 3.8 million people are eligible to vote across the two states.
The contests follow strong gains by the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) in Saxony-Anhalt earlier in September. The Guardian reported that Berlin’s CDU faces competition from the left-wing Die Linke, while the Social Democrats and AfD are closely matched in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
These are elections for state legislatures. Their wider political significance lies in how the results may affect support within Merz’s party and assessments of his government’s standing. Pre-election polling does not establish the outcome, and this report contains no election results.
Berlin’s election authority says counting begins after voting closes at 6 p.m. on September 20.
