Lower Saxony votes in local elections

Polls have opened in Lower Saxony for local elections, with over 6.3 million people eligible to vote for mayors and municipal councils until 6 p.m. Sunday. Results will be tallied locally first, with a preliminary state result expected Monday morning. Key mayoral races include Hannover, where incumbent Belit Onay (Greens) seeks re-election, and the region's presidency, where SPD's Steffen Krach is not running again. The campaign was also shaped by Volkswagen's crisis, including plans to cut 50,000 jobs. In the 2021 local elections, the CDU led statewide with 31.7 percent, ahead of the SPD at 30 percent and the Greens at 15.9 percent. The AfD received 2.2 percent in municipal votes and 4.6 percent in district elections.