Voters in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt are casting ballots on 6 September 2026 in a regional election where the far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is projected to make historic gains, potentially forming its first-ever state government. This matters nationally because a strong AfD showing would test the long-standing "firewall" of non-cooperation maintained by mainstream parties, deepen pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz's federal coalition, and signal momentum ahead of Germany's 2029 national election.

The AfD has been polling above 40% in the state for months, and its 35-year-old lead candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, has predicted an outright majority, saying that if other parties refuse to cooperate "we'll just have to do it alone." Some 1.7 million people were eligible to vote between 8am and 6pm local time, with the state currently governed by a CDU-led coalition under premier Sven Schulze. The AfD's Saxony-Anhalt branch is classified as "right-wing extremist" by domestic intelligence, and its campaign has centred on mass deportations, banning LGBTQ pride flags in schools, halting new wind farms, and tapping into lingering East-West resentment since reunification.