German exit polls show far-right party leading poll

MAGDEBURG, Germany - Initial exit polls from a regional election in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt suggest the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is leading, but it remains uncertain if the far-right group will be able to establish the country's first far-right state government since World War II. AfD entered the vote aiming to secure an absolute majority in the state legislature to govern independently, overcoming the so-called firewall of mainstream parties' unwillingness to collaborate with them.

Polls conducted by ARD and ZDF public television indicate AfD at approximately 44% of the vote, significantly ahead of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), currently leading the state, with 18.5%. The Left Party is projected to finish third with around 9%. The center-left Social Democrats and Greens are also expected to retain their seats in the state legislature, with around 8%-9% each.

It is unclear if the BSW party would accumulate the necessary 5% of the vote to win seats. The exit polls suggest AfD is marginally short of an absolute majority.