Election-year test for Merkel German state votes

SAARBRUCKEN, Germany: German voters went to the polls on Sunday in tiny Saarland state, where a resurgent centre-left hopes to strike a first blow in their battle to topple Chancellor Angela Merkel this year.

Although the state bordering France is home to just one million people, its vote half a year before national elections is seen as a test of the Social Democrats’ rising fortunes under new leader Martin Schulz.

The SPD, having long played second fiddle to Merkel in a national right-left grand coalition, has been re-energised since the folksy and plain-spoken Schulz became its chairman in January.

The former president of the European Parliament has lifted party support by 10 percent with promises to help the socially disadvantaged and end Merkel’s almost 12-year reign in September elections.

The "Schulz mania" has seen younger voters flock to the more than 150-year-old workers’ party, which is now polling neck-and-neck at the national level with Merkel’s conservative bloc.

The SPD is currently the CDU’s unhappy junior partner in Saarland and in the national government -- and in both cases hopes to grab power by teaming up with other leftist parties.

Even if the CDU comes out ahead in Saarland, the SPD could potentially seek a coalition with the far-left Linke and possibly the ecologist Greens parties -- a so-called "red-red-green" alliance.

The same trio is now running the city-state of Berlin, although policy hurdles remain at the national level, given that the Linke, for example, rejects German membership of Nato.

In Saarland, the latest poll for broadcaster ZDF gave the CDU a clear lead at 37 percent over the SPD’s 32 percent, with the SPD’s potential ally the Linke scoring 12.5 percent.

The incumbent is popular CDU premier Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, 54, often dubbed simply "AKK", who is considered pragmatic and unpretentious, dressing up as a cleaning lady at carnival festivities.

Her SPD challenger is deputy premier Anke Rehlinger, 40, who happens to hold the state record in shot put 16.03 metres.

Polls opened at 0600 GMT, and about one third of eligible voters had cast their ballots by 1200 GMT, slightly more than in 2012 elections, suggesting turnout for the day could be higher than the 62 percent five years ago.