Germans are voting in a keenly-watched national election which could shape the direction of Europe's largest economy.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives are favourite to win and deliver her a second term in office.
But she hopes to win by a big enough margin to be able to ditch her Social Democrat coalition partners and work with the more reform-minded FDP.
A BBC correspondent says there is no great appetite for such a coalition and that people prefer the status quo. read more
