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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Germany election: Merkel seeks fourth term | Germany election: Merkel seeks fourth term |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Millions of Germans are casting their votes in the country's federal elections, with Chancellor Angela Merkel tipped to retain power. | Millions of Germans are casting their votes in the country's federal elections, with Chancellor Angela Merkel tipped to retain power. |
| She is seeking a fourth term in office and to keep her conservative CDU/CSU alliance's status as the largest presence in Germany's parliament. | She is seeking a fourth term in office and to keep her conservative CDU/CSU alliance's status as the largest presence in Germany's parliament. |
| Its coalition partner, the social democratic SPD, is its main rival, while the right-wing AfD is likely to gain its first parliamentary seats. | Its coalition partner, the social democratic SPD, is its main rival, while the right-wing AfD is likely to gain its first parliamentary seats. |
| Voter turnout looks set to be moderate. | |
| By 14:00 local time (12:00 GMT) 41.1% of registered voters had cast their ballot, compared to 41.4% by the same time in the federal elections four years ago, according to Germany's federal returning officer. | |
| Mrs Merkel cast her vote at a polling station in Berlin; the SPD's candidate for chancellor, Martin Schulz, voted earlier in the day in his home town Wuerselen in western Germany. | |
| Polling stations opened at 08:00 and close at 18:00, with exit polls expected shortly after. | |
| The election is seen as important because it may result in six parties in the Bundestag - the German national parliament - for the first time since World War Two. | The election is seen as important because it may result in six parties in the Bundestag - the German national parliament - for the first time since World War Two. |
| Such a result could mean a change in the makeup of the current governing coalition. | Such a result could mean a change in the makeup of the current governing coalition. |
| Uncertainty about what a new coalition government could look like was expected to draw high numbers of voters to the ballot boxes, with postal voting higher than usual. | |
| Key contenders | Key contenders |
| Angela Merkel: Widely expected to retain her seat, Mrs Merkel is seen internationally as a source of stability - having led Germany since 2005. Her decision to open Germany to asylum seekers during the peak of Europe's migrant crisis cost her politically, but she appears to have recovered | Angela Merkel: Widely expected to retain her seat, Mrs Merkel is seen internationally as a source of stability - having led Germany since 2005. Her decision to open Germany to asylum seekers during the peak of Europe's migrant crisis cost her politically, but she appears to have recovered |
| Martin Schulz: The SPD leader was until recently speaker of the European Parliament. Mrs Merkel's main rival is also her coalition partner - which has proved troublesome during the campaign, as he sought to criticise her politics | Martin Schulz: The SPD leader was until recently speaker of the European Parliament. Mrs Merkel's main rival is also her coalition partner - which has proved troublesome during the campaign, as he sought to criticise her politics |
| Alice Weidel and Alexander Gauland: The top candidates for the AfD. Achieving seats in the Bundestag - or potentially becoming the third-largest party, as some campaign polls suggested - would be a major victory | Alice Weidel and Alexander Gauland: The top candidates for the AfD. Achieving seats in the Bundestag - or potentially becoming the third-largest party, as some campaign polls suggested - would be a major victory |
| What are the coalition options? | What are the coalition options? |
| The SPD's Mr Schulz has already appeared to reject the idea of another CDU-led grand coalition, so what are the realistic alternatives for Mrs Merkel? | The SPD's Mr Schulz has already appeared to reject the idea of another CDU-led grand coalition, so what are the realistic alternatives for Mrs Merkel? |
| Recent polls suggest the CDU/CSU has a double-digit lead over the SPD but there are millions of undecided voters - perhaps a third of the electorate. | Recent polls suggest the CDU/CSU has a double-digit lead over the SPD but there are millions of undecided voters - perhaps a third of the electorate. |
| With the SPD still around 14 points behind Mrs Merkel's party in the polls, Mr Schulz is unlikely to attract all of them. | With the SPD still around 14 points behind Mrs Merkel's party in the polls, Mr Schulz is unlikely to attract all of them. |
| "It was a tough decision," voter Mike Muellerin told Reuters news agency in the SPD leader's hometown. "One hopes he [Schulz] will win but in any case it will be a tight race." | |
| In Berlin, retired nurse Eva Maria told AFP news agency: "I hope Angela Merkel gets to stay on. She has everything under control." | In Berlin, retired nurse Eva Maria told AFP news agency: "I hope Angela Merkel gets to stay on. She has everything under control." |
| The AfD, a nationalist, anti-Islam party, has so far held seats only in regional government but has grown in popularity during a campaign focused on immigration issues. | The AfD, a nationalist, anti-Islam party, has so far held seats only in regional government but has grown in popularity during a campaign focused on immigration issues. |
| Mainstream parties have already ruled out talking to the AfD, which has been polling at between 11% and 13% and could emerge as Germany's third-strongest party. | Mainstream parties have already ruled out talking to the AfD, which has been polling at between 11% and 13% and could emerge as Germany's third-strongest party. |
| Another significant contender is Die Linke (the Left), the main opposition party to the outgoing coalition, but its radical views make it an unlikely partner in any coalition that results from this election. | Another significant contender is Die Linke (the Left), the main opposition party to the outgoing coalition, but its radical views make it an unlikely partner in any coalition that results from this election. |
| Some 61.5 million people aged over 18 are eligible to vote in federal elections, which are held every four years. | Some 61.5 million people aged over 18 are eligible to vote in federal elections, which are held every four years. |
| There are two separate votes - one for a candidate in their constituency, and one for their preferred political party. | There are two separate votes - one for a candidate in their constituency, and one for their preferred political party. |