Last-minute swings could prove decisive.
BERLIN — Ahead of Germany’s general election on Sunday, a significant number of potential voters remain on the fence, raising the prospect of last-minute swings that could shape the final outcome.
Twenty percent of potential voters will decide who they will vote for in the final days before the election, according to a YouGov poll conducted for the German Press Agency. That includes 7 percent who said they will decide on the day of the election.
Traditional news sources remain the primary source of election information, according to the survey; 63 percent of voters said they get their information from television, newspapers, radio, and online news portals. Conversations with family, friends, and colleagues also play an important role, with 42 percent of respondents relying on personal discussions to shape their decision.
Social media’s influence varies widely by political affiliation, according to the survey. Overall, 27 percent of voters use platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube for election information.
However, the reliance is much higher among backers of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), with 40 percent of its supporters relying on social media. The same is true of supporters of the far-left party known as The Left, with 43 percent.
By contrast, only 13 percent of voters backing the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), rely on social media.
While 26 percent of voters say the final weeks of campaigning have influenced their decisions, 38 percent had already made up their minds, according to the survey. With many voters still undecided, the final days of campaigning could prove decisive in determining the composition of Germany’s next government.
