German chancellor's Social Democrats seek to hold off far right in vote in Brandenburg

A state election is taking place in Brandenburg three weeks after a far-right party made gains in two other states in eastern Germany. Around 2.1 million people are registered to vote for a new state parliament in Brandenburg, the state that surrounds Berlin, the capital of Germany. Sunday's vote is being watched closely for signs about the country’s political direction. The latest polls showed the far-right Alternative for Germany neck-and-neck with the Social Democrats, the party that has governed Brandenburg continuously since German reunification in 1990. The Social Democrats, the party of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, are hoping to maintain control of their stronghold in the face of rising support for parties on the extreme right and left.