Exit polls in Germany are showing a neck-and-neck race between the centre-left Social Democrats and Angela Merkel's centre-right Christian Democratic Union in the country's general election.
The SPD's Olaf Scholz and the CDU/CSU's Armin Laschet are the leading candidates to succeed the veteran chancellor – who is not running after 16 years in the role.
Both parties have said they will try to build a governing coalition and will reach out to the minor parties to try and garner support.
The process to form a coalition could take months during which time Angela Merkel would remain in office in a caretaker capacity.
The latest projections show the SPD holding a marginal lead with 25.2 per cent of the vote – while the CDU/CSU trails at 24.6 per cent – their weakest result since World War Two.
Voter turnout was at 78 per cent – up two percentage points on the previous election – and is the highest turnout since 2005.
SDP Leader Olaf Scholz had told rapturous supporters the results send a clear mandate for his party to form the next government.
