Polls will close at 6 p.m. local time (12 p.m. EST), and it will likely become clear in the ensuing hours which party has the highest share of votes. Determining who will lead as chancellor will take longer, as it first has to be determined which parties will control the Bundestag, and then the leader is chosen by its members.

On a wet evening in Suhl, in the former East Germany, a smattering of youthful faces were among hundreds lining up to hear from an unlikely idol - Björn Höcke, one of the most controversial figures in the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Conservative leader and front-runner Friedrich Merz has cast his vote in the German election. Merz is the leader of the center-right Union bloc, which has by far the best chance of forming a new government.