Parliamentary elections are being held today in Germany, with approximately 62 million of the country’s inhabitants eligible to vote.

For the past four years, Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has governed with the Social Democratic Party (SPD). The SPD is led by Ms Merkel’s main challenger, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. In the run-up to today’s elections, Ms Merkel has announced her preference for a coalition with the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP).

An estimated 25 percent of voters still remain undecided. It is their votes that could make all the difference in the struggle between Ms Merkel and Mr Steinmeier. Although the latest opinion polls give the CDU an easy lead, the SPD has been gaining ground over the last week.

The states of Schleswig-Holstein and Brandenburg are also holding local elections today.

Photos by fungkakeung and f650biker (Flickr)