Early elections for the Bundestag are taking place in Germany, with polling stations now open.

On February 23, citizens of Germany will vote in early elections for the Bundestag. Polling stations opened at 8:00 AM local time and will remain open until 6:00 PM. The first forecasts will be available shortly after they close.

A total of 29 political parties are participating in the elections.

There are approximately 59.2 million voters in the country, with 24.9 million (42%) being over the age of 60. Around 2.3 million voters (3.9%) are young people who have just turned 18, marking their first opportunity to vote in federal elections.

The elections on February 23 were called following the collapse of the coalition led by Olaf Scholz, which included his Social Democrats, the Greens, and the liberal Free Democrats.

On December 11, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz submitted a request to the Bundestag for a vote of confidence in the government. On December 16, the German parliament withdrew its confidence from Olaf Scholz after the ruling "traffic light coalition" fell apart.

On December 27, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier dissolved the parliament and set a new election date for the Bundestag on February 23.