The preliminary result of the 2026 state election in Saxony-Anhalt shows the AfD, classified by the state office for the protection of the constitution as confirmed right-wing extremist, at 43.79 percent of the vote. Those figures stay provisional until the final result is certified, while the 2021 and earlier numbers compared with them here are final. Survey data published on Sunday evening and Monday morning by ARD and ZDF, collected by Infratest dimap and the Forschungsgruppe Wahlen respectively, indicate that the party performed strongly across all population groups.
The AfD took 43.79 percent of second votes, ahead of the CDU on 17.23 percent. The SPD reached 9.30 percent, followed closely by the Greens on 8.93 percent and Die Linke on 8.56 percent. The BSW recorded 5.27 percent, while the FDP came in at 2.58 percent.
Compared with 2021, the AfD gained 22.97 percentage points in second votes, while the CDU lost 19.89 points. The Greens added 3.00 points and the SPD 0.89 points, whereas Die Linke fell by 2.44 points and the FDP by 3.84 points. The BSW, which did not contest the previous election, entered at 5.27 points.
Turnout reached 77.82 percent, more than seventeen points above the 60.32 percent recorded in 2021. Interim samples taken by the state returning officer, which exclude postal voters, had already pointed that way through the day: by 4 p.m. participation stood at 65.3 percent, against 41.0 percent at the same hour five years earlier. Nothing since the state's first election has come close. Turnout was 65.1 percent in 1990 and 71.5 percent in 1998, but fell to 44.4 percent in 2006, the lowest in the series, before recovering to 61.1 percent in 2016.
According to the survey data, which comes from polling by the two institutes rather than from the count itself, 50 percent of men voted for the AfD, compared with 39 to 40 percent of women. The party also scored particularly well among people aged 30 to 59. The Forschungsgruppe Wahlen recorded 50 to 52 percent for this age group, and Infratest dimap put the figure at 52 percent among 35- to 59-year-olds.
The value declines among older voters: ARD reported that only 31 percent of voters aged 70 and above chose the AfD. Among the youngest voters up to 24, the party reached 41 percent, slightly below its average.
The ARD survey also found differences by educational attainment. People with basic and intermediate qualifications voted for the AfD disproportionately often, while the share among those with higher formal qualifications was considerably lower.
From breaking news to thought-provoking opinion pieces, our newsletter keeps you informed & engaged.
By subscribing, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
