Germans went to the polls Sunday in the face of threatening videos from al Qaeda and the Taliban warning them not to vote for leaders who want to keep the country's troops in Afghanistan.
Center-left Social Democrat leader Frank-Walter Steinmeier votes in Berlin on Sunday.
Security was tightened at airports and train stations, and authorities on Saturday banned all flights over the Oktoberfest beer festival until it ends on October 4. The annual event attracts about 6 million people.
Chancellor Angela Merkel is fighting for another four-year term amid concerns about economic recovery and job security.
The main challenger for Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is Frank-Walter Steinmeier's center-left Social Democrats.
The two parties are currently in a coalition, with Steinmeier serving as Merkel's foreign minister.
Few doubt that Merkel's party will win the most votes. The question is what kind of coalition will be formed -- another broad centrist one, across the political divide, or a more right-leaning one. Video What's at stake in the German election »read more
