According to initial forecasts, the CDU won the state elections in Schleswig-Holstein.

According to the forecast by Infratest dimap for ARD on Sunday, the Christian Democrats of Prime Minister Daniel Günther received 43 percent of the votes, followed by the Greens around State Finance Minister Monika Heinold with 17 percent and the SPD with top candidate Thomas Losse-Müller with 15.5 percent.

The Social Democrats thus undercut their worst result in Schleswig-Holstein from 2005 by almost 10 percent.

At that time, the SPD got 25.4 percent.

According to Infratest dimap, the FDP, which currently governs with the CDU and Greens, received seven percent, while the South Schleswig Voters' Association (SSW), which was exempt from the five percent hurdle, was able to unite six percent.

With 4.9 percent, the AfD has to worry about re-entering the Kiel state parliament.

According to the forecast by the research group Wahlen for ZDF, the CDU comes to 41 percent, SPD to 16, the Greens to 19.5, the FDP to 7, the AfD to 4.5 and the SSW to 6 percent.

In a first reaction, Karin Prien, deputy federal chairman of the CDU, spoke of a "great day of joy" and a "huge success".

A modern and forward-looking CDU won this election.

That will give proper tailwind for North Rhine-Westphalia.

The Greens Federal Chairwoman Ricarda Lang was also pleased.

She viewed her party's historic election results as confirmation of the Green government's work in the Jamaica coalition.

Lang defended the "course of independence" in the election campaign on ZDF, but one is available for further cooperation with the CDU.

The Secretary General of the SPD, Kevin Kühnert, said on ARD it was not a "nice evening" for the SPD.

The result was indicated.

"It is Daniel Günther's election victory.

He was the "outstandingly popular political actor".

The SPD in Schleswig-Holstein was in a "strategic dead end".

By early evening, about as many voters had voted as five years ago.

By 5 p.m., the turnout was 54.7 percent, as the state returning officer announced on his website.

In 2017, 54.9 percent had done so at this point.

Voter turnout was 64.2 percent in 2017, up from 60.2 percent in 2012.