Fundamental structures and views of eligible voters were investigated in an extensive study. It focused not on current changes in public opinion, but on the different forms of party affiliation and how these are constituted.

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung commissioned a representative telephone survey of over 8,000 respondents between 8 July and 30 December 2020. After weighting the survey is representative for the German electorate aged 18 years and above.

Findings include:

• Only one in four respondents intending to vote can imagine voting for only one party. The exception is the AfD, where this figure is one in two respondents. All others have a secondary voting preference.
• Problem-solving, policy positions, assertiveness, and candidates are important voting motives for all voters. Social orientation and climate protection are considered less important among FDP and AfD supporters.
• The CDU is very frequently associated with the terms stability, conservative, consistency, orderly rule, security, and prosperity, while Die Grünen are connected with the term sustainable and less frequently with modern, cosmopolitan, curious, and tolerant.
• Almost all supporters adopt a balanced centre position in relation to climate, immigration and tax-related policy. The greatest differences are found between AfD supporters on the one side and supporters of Die Grünen and Die Linke on the other.

Read the complete study “Electorate survey prior to the federal elections in 2021” here as a PDF.