The Christian Democratic Union and its allied Christian Social Union secured the largest share of votes in the German federal election, exit polls show.

The vote comes at a pivotal time for Europe, which faces an increasingly assertive Trump administration.

Polls will close at 6 p.m. local time (12 p.m. EST), and it will likely become clear in the ensuing hours which party has the highest share of votes. Determining who will lead as chancellor will take longer, as it first has to be determined which parties will control the Bundestag, and then the leader is chosen by its members.