Voting is now underway across Germany as people cast their vote following an election campaign driven by the nation's stumbling economy and persistent deliberation on migration.

Polls expect conservative leader Friedrich Merz to become their next Chancellor as Europe and America closely monitor the vote.

He has insisted that he would make no deal with the right-wing party Alternative for Germany (AfD) - a party which has been bolstered by the likes of Elon Musk and US Vice President JD Vance.

Consequently, Merz's Christian Democrats will be forced to build an alliance with another party, which is expected to be Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats.

The AfD is believed to become the second largest political party - and is even expected to overtake Scholz's left party - in what is expected to be its most successful election result to date.

A fifth (20 per cent) of the German electorate remains undecided ahead of the election, according to national polls, while around 60 million Germans are eligible to vote.

"I'm completely disappointed in politics, so maybe an alternative would be better," retired Berlin bookkeeper Ludmila Ballhorn told Reuters, citing the soaring cost-of-living crisis.

The polls will close at 6pm (5pm UK time) as an early indication of the outcome likely to be clear throughout the evening.

AfD co-leader Alice WeidelREUTERS

Alternative for Germany (AfD) has been handed a major poll boost in YouGov’s last mega-survey ahead of Sunday’s Bundestag election.

The populist party cemented its expected second-place finish, with 20 per cent of the vote and 145 seats.

AfD support has doubled since the last federal poll in 2021 when the populist party returned 83 MPs with 10.4 per cent of the vote.

It is also substantially up compared to Alice Weidel’s third-place showing, which saw 94 AfD MPs enter the Bundestag in 2017.

Polls will close at 6pm UK time

The polls have opened in Germany for almost 60 million people to cast their vote following an intense election campaign across Merz's Christian Democrats, Scholz's Social Democrats and the AfD.

Polls will close at 6pm UK time.