Watch a live broadcast from Germany, as people are heading to polling stations around the nation to vote for the composition of the new parliament, the Bundestag. The winning party or parties will appoint a federal chancellor to head the government.
Almost 60,000 polling stations in Germany will work until 16:00 GMT (6 p.m. local time).
The main parties vying for power in the elections are the bloc of the Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU), headed by Merkel's successor and Premier of North Rhine-Westphalia Armin Laschet, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), led by Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, the Greens, the Free Democratic Party (FDP), The Left (Die Linke), and Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel earlier announced her decision to step down. She has served as head of the German government for 16 years.
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