Voting has opened in Germany's federal elections, with Chancellor Angela Merkel tipped to retain power.
She is seeking a fourth term in office.
The CDU's coalition partner, the SPD, is its main opponent. The right-wing AfD is likely to gain seats in parliament for the first time.
As BBC reports, polling stations opened at 08:00 local time (06:00 GMT) and close at 18:00.
The election is seen as important because it may result in six parties in the Bundestag - the German national parliament - for the first time since World War Two.