Local elections take place in Lower Saxony after AfD victory in Saxony-Anhalt
Local elections for mayors, district administrators and local council members are taking place in the German state of Lower Saxony. The vote has drawn increased attention following the convincing victory of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in elections in Saxony-Anhalt last week, Deutsche Welle English reports.
More than 6 million voters
About 6.3 million people are eligible to vote in the elections. If a runoff is needed, it will be held across Lower Saxony on September 27.
AfD's results will be closely watched amid growing support for the party across the country. At the same time, its support in Germany's western states remains lower than in regions of the former communist East Germany. At the district level in Lower Saxony's 2021 local elections, AfD received 4.6% of the vote.
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Job cuts at Volkswagen
Large-scale job cuts at Volkswagen may become one of the important issues for voters. Lower Saxony is home to the company's headquarters and six of its plants, while the state itself is one of the carmaker's key shareholders.
The local elections precede elections in Berlin and the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, scheduled for September 20. The results of these votes will also be closely watched amid AfD's growing popularity.
