Ahead of the German general election on Sunday, the 23rd of February, a significant number of potential voters are still undecided on who to vote for, raising the possibility that voters could change their minds at the last minute, which could affect the final outcome, on Wednesday, the 19th of February, reports Politico.
According to a YouGov poll conducted on behalf of the German Press Agency, 20% of potential voters will decide who to vote for in the final days before the elections. This includes 7% who said they would decide on polling day.
According to the survey, traditional news sources remain the main source of electoral information, with 63% of voters saying they get their information from television, newspapers, radio and online news portals.
Talking to family, friends and colleagues also plays an important role, with 42% of respondents relying on personal conversations to determine their decision.
According to the survey, the impact of social media varies widely depending on political affiliation. Overall, 27% of voters use platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube to get information about the elections.
However, this reliance is much higher among supporters of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), where 40% of its supporters rely on social media. The same is true for supporters of the far-left Left Party, 43%.
By contrast, only 13% of voters who support the centre-right bloc Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) use social media.
While 26% of voters say that the final weeks of campaigning have influenced their decision, 38% of voters had already decided who to vote for in Sunday’s elections, according to the poll. With many voters still undecided, the final days of the campaigns could prove decisive in determining the composition of Germany’s next government.