Lower Saxony votes in local elections

Voters in Lower Saxony are casting ballots today in local elections, with around 6.3 million people electing mayors, district administrators, and municipal councils. The results are seen as a key indicator of political sentiment in the state. The elections come a year before the state parliament vote and amid tightened savings plans at Volkswagen, in which Lower Saxony holds a stake. They also serve as a measure of the AfD's performance in a western German state, following its results in Saxony-Anhalt and ahead of votes in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In 2021, the AfD won only 4.6 percent at the district level in Lower Saxony. The state branch is now classified as a suspected right-wing extremist group by intelligence services, and four AfD candidates were barred from running. Potential runoff elections are set for September 27.