The two candidates for chancellor made their last-ditch bids for support on Saturday, pleading with Germany's 61.5 million voters to cast their ballots in the long-awaited national election.

Incumbent Angela Merkel was in her home state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to visit the town of Greifswald and the island of Rügen. The populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) has grown its voter base in both districts, beating Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in state elections there last year.

AfD leaders Alice Weidel and Alexander Gauland

Merkel told supporters in Berlin on Saturday they needed to keep up their efforts to convince undecided voters: "many make their decision in the final hours," she said.

Meanwhile, Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader Martin Schulz was addressing a rally in the western city of Aachen, close to his hometown of Würselen.

Opinion polls put the CDU and its sister Christian Social Union (CSU) party in Bavaria well ahead of the SPD, with the AfD posing a serious challenge to the Left party for third place.

AfD challenges the Left for third place

In surveys published on Friday, the right-wing AfD was seen to strengthen its third place setting by two percentage points to a projected 13 percent of the vote. The Insa survey, commissioned by mass circulation newspaper Bild, suggested the CDU would keep its top spot with 34 percent support, ahead of the SPD on 21 percent. The Left party was showing 11 percent support.

In a separate poll for Stern-RTL, the AfD was projected to win 11 percent of the vote with the CDU-CSU holding a lead with 36 percent and the SPD on 22 percent. An Emnid poll for the Bild am Sonntag newspaper showed similar results.

Martin Schulz speaking in Aachen

While voters have a choice of 42 parties and 4,828 candidates, the focus has sharpened on the top three, and the likely coalition which will come from the votes. While the CDU has been holding its position as the SPD weakens, if opinion polls prove correct then both parties would see their overall share of the vote fall to a level they have not seen since 2009.

The pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) look set to pass the 5 percent threshold for seats in parliament, which they failed to do in 2013, but the Greens are falling closer to the limit as support holds at 7 percent.

Low turnout?

In the last federal elections in 2013, some 29 percent of registered voters did not cast a ballot. This week, polls showed those planning either not to vote or who unsure of who to vote for was at 34 percent.

Fears of a low turnout, which many experts have said would benefit the AfD as its base is motivated to head to the polls, have encouraged mainstream parties to call for voters to turn out on Sunday.

"My request to everyone is that they vote, and vote for those parties that adhere 100 percent to our constitution," Merkel told MDR radio this week in a clear reference to the far-right party. "We have to take a clear stance when it's about our basic values."

The chancellor's comments followed controversial ones from the head of her chancellor's office, Peter Altmaier, who suggested it would be better for Germans not to vote at all, rather than vote for the AfD.

SPD Justice Minister Heiko Maas accused Altmaier of helping the AfD: "Telling people not to vote is helping the AfD's campaign, that's exactly what they want," he said.

After four years as Merkel's junior coalition partner, the SPD is facing a challenge to do well as a party in its own right and with its own policies in the elections. With her predicted fourth term in office likely to be her last, Merkel may well be talking to others to form a coalition government.

Germany goes to the polls - a look at the party leaders Merkel campaigning for votes Chancellor Angela Merkel campaigning in Munich two days before the election was keen to stress her mantra of stability. Merkel heads the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). In Munich, she was campaigning for votes among the CDU's more conservative Bavarian sister party, the CSU (the Christian Social Union).

Germany goes to the polls - a look at the party leaders Merkel has opponents Of course, not every one wants Merkel to serve another four year term as chancellor.

Germany goes to the polls - a look at the party leaders Schulz stays optimistic Martin Schulz leads the Social Democratic Party in its bid to seize the reins of power from Merkel and her CDU party. Despite being at least 12 points behind in the polls, Schulz maintained a positive attitude on the campaign trail just two days before the vote.

Germany goes to the polls - a look at the party leaders Fighting for third place Sahra Wagenknech leads Die Linke (The Left) party as it battles to finish third in the election. Polls show them with about 11 percent of the vote. Here she is campaigning in Berlin two days before the election.

Germany goes to the polls - a look at the party leaders The far-right makes gains Alexander Gauland and Alice Weidel lead the far-right, anti-immigrant, AfD (Alternative for Deutschland) party that appears destined to smash its way into parliament with 11 percent or more of the vote. They are battling with Die Linke for third place. Here, the two party leaders are speaking at a press conference in Berlin earlier this week.

Germany goes to the polls - a look at the party leaders Green Party duo The Grüne Partei (Green Party) is led by Katrin Goering-Eckhardt and Cem Özdemir. Their poll numbers are in the single digits. They're expected to cross the 5 percent threshold needed to hold seats in parliament but that's uncertain.

Germany goes to the polls - a look at the party leaders Return of the Free Democrats Christian Lindner leads the Free Democratic Party (FDP) as it tries to return to parliament after a four year absence. The classic right-of-center party failed to cross the 5 percent threshold in the 2013 election, leaving it without representation in the Bundestag for the first time since it entered parliament in 1949.

Germany goes to the polls - a look at the party leaders The head of the CSU Christian Social Union leader Horst Seehofer maintains the party's close (sister party) ties with the CDU, which virtually assures it of a role in government.



jm/rc (dpa, Reuters)