Rhineland-Palatinate state election 2026: the result
In the Rhineland-Palatinate state election on 22 March 2026, CDU became the largest party with 31.0%, 5.1 points ahead of SPD (25.9%). CDU and SPD have governed since then; how the alliance stands in the polls today is shown on the page with the current election polls. Preliminary result from the state returning officer; the official final result will be added.
- Biggest move since 2021
- AfD +11.2 · SPD −9.8 · FDP −3.4
- Failed to clear the threshold
- Linke (4.4%), Freie Wähler (4.2%), FDP (2.1%), BSW (1.9%), Tierschutzpartei (1.6%), Volt (1.1%)
- Government
- CDU + SPD: 71 of 105 seats
- Polls one week before
- off by 1.0 points per party on average, CDU underestimated by 2.5
- Turnout
- 63.5%
- Status
- preliminary result
Result of the 2026 state election
Turnout in the Rhineland-Palatinate state election on 22 March 2026 was 63.5%. The Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate has 105 seats; a majority needs 53.
Shares in percent, change on the election of 14 Mar 2021 in points. Parties below one percent are grouped as Others.
| Party | Votes 2026 (%) | 2021 (%) | Change | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christlich Demokratische Union | 31.0% | 27.7% | +3.3 | 39 |
| Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands | 25.9% | 35.7% | -9.8 | 32 |
| Alternative für Deutschland | 19.5% | 8.3% | +11.2 | 24 |
| Bündnis 90/Die Grünen | 7.9% | 9.3% | -1.4 | 10 |
| Die Linke | 4.4% | 2.5% | +1.9 | – |
| Freie Wähler | 4.2% | 5.4% | -1.2 | – |
| Freie Demokratische Partei | 2.1% | 5.5% | -3.4 | – |
| Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht | 1.9% | – | new | – |
| Partei Mensch Umwelt Tierschutz | 1.6% | 1.7% | -0.1 | – |
| Volt Deutschland | 1.1% | 1.0% | +0.1 | – |
| Others | 0.4% | 2.9% | -2.5 | – |
Source: state returning officer, compiled via wahlrecht.de. Official seats, 105 in total including overhang and compensatory seats. JSON · CSV
Seat distribution in the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate after the 2026 result
105 seats by the official result, including overhang and compensatory seats. Electoral threshold of 5%.
- CDU39
- SPD32
- AfD24
- Grüne10
Which alliances had a majority after the 2026 election
All two- and three-party alliances with a projected majority; the coalition actually formed is highlighted.
- CDU + SPDGovernment71 of 105
- CDU + AfD63 of 105
- SPD + AfD56 of 105
The polls in the last 30 days before the 2026 state election
5 polls between 26 Feb 2026 and 19 Mar 2026, each one available individually.
| Pollster | Published | CDU | SPD | AfD | Grüne | Linke | Freie Wähler | FDP | BSW | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forschungsgruppe Wahlen | 19 Mar 2026 | 29 | 27 | 19 | 9 | 5 | 4.5 | – | – | ||
| INSA | 18 Mar 2026 | 28 | 27 | 20 | 9 | 5 | 5 | – | – | ||
| Forschungsgruppe Wahlen | 13 Mar 2026 | 28 | 26 | 19 | 9 | 5 | 5 | – | – | ||
| Infratest dimap | 12 Mar 2026 | 29 | 28 | 19 | 8 | 5 | 4.5 | – | – | ||
| Infratest dimap | 26 Feb 2026 | 28 | 27 | 19 | 9 | 5 | 5 | – | – | ||
| Min – Max | 28–29 | 26–28 | 19–20 | 8–9 | 5–5 | 4.5–5 | – | – | |||
For each party the lowest value in the table is marked orange and the highest green; the last row shows the range.
Last poll before the election: Forschungsgruppe Wahlen, 19 Mar 2026
Who came closest before the 2026 election?
Deviation of each pollster's last poll from the result, by party in points. Ranked by mean absolute deviation.
| Pollster | Poll dated | CDU | SPD | AfD | Grüne | Linke | Freie Wähler | Ø abs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result 22 Mar 2026(preliminary) | 31.0% | 25.9% | 19.5% | 7.9% | 4.4% | 4.2% | ||
| Forschungsgruppe Wahlen | 19 Mar 2026 (3 days before) | -2.0 | +1.1 | -0.5 | +1.1 | +0.6 | +0.3 | 0.9 |
| Infratest dimap | 12 Mar 2026 (10 days before) | -2.0 | +2.1 | -0.5 | +0.1 | +0.6 | +0.3 | 0.9 |
| INSA | 18 Mar 2026 (4 days before) | -3.0 | +1.1 | +0.5 | +1.1 | +0.6 | +0.8 | 1.2 |
Positive: the poll was above the result. Each pollster's last poll within 30 days before the election.