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The German electorate only has a few more hours to break the stalemate or give the incumbent Chancellor another four years in the Bundestag. Angela Merkel currently looks to sweep through the polls today, with a minority victory that will see her form a coalition with main rival Martin Schulz. The latest election polls show that Mrs Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and her sister CSU party is in the lead with 37 per cent of the vote, followed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) with 20 per cent. But a new INSA poll published by Bild newspaper shows less promising results for the conservatives, with a two point drop in support, down to 34 per cent.

One contender voters have been told to look out for is the controversial, right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) which is posed to form Mrs Merkel’s main opposition in parliament. The AfD have been showing a surprising, albeit slow, growth in the polls. The INSA poll gave the party a two point gain up to 13 per cent of the vote. Now with more than a third of the electorate still undecided before the polls close, the possibility of a shock outcome has been brought into question. But the undecided voters will likely not have enough power to swing the election results, according Pepjin Bergsen, a macroeconomics and political forecaster from Germany.

GETTY German elections: Angela Merkel is poised to defeat Martin Schulz in the Sunday vote

Mr Bergsen said: “But probably over a quarter has already voted by postal vote, reducing the potential for surprises.”

Probably over a quarter has already voted by postal vote, reducing the potential for surprises Pepjin Bergsen, Political forecaster

If the poll results stay on course, Angela Merkel will not win a majority and will need to share her power in a ‘grand coalition’. At the moment, the coalition stands between the centre-right CDU and the centre-left SPD. But the prospect of a third coalition government between the two has been met with resistance, with German media bemoaning the possible outcome.

German election: Photos from the election Mon, September 25, 2017 Latest pictures during the upcoming general elections in Germany Play slideshow REUTERS 1 of 22 Demonstrators scuffle with police during the protest against the anti-immigration party Alternative for Deutschland AfD, after German general election (Bundestagswahl) in Berlin

“We’re at risk of another grand coalition,” Bild newspaper lamented earlier in September. An alternative result could see a the conservatives strike a deal with the Greens and Free Democrats (FDP). However, a recent Eurointelligence briefing on the election found that it is “impossible” at this stage to determine who will build the final coalition. The briefing reads: “While the CDU/CSU will undoubtedly emerge as the largest party, it is impossible to forecast which of the two or three coalition options will be the most likely. They are all well within the error margins of the polls.

ARD Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union party is in the lead