The 2017 Lower Saxony state election was held on 15 October 2017 to elect the 18th Landtag of Lower Saxony. The incumbent coalition government of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and The Greens led by Minister-President Stephan Weil was defeated. Though the SPD became the largest party in the Landtag largely fueled by the personal popularity of Weil, their gains were offset by losses for the Greens, depriving the government of its majority. The SPD subsequently formed a grand coalition with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and Weil continued as Minister-President.

Quick Facts All 137 seats in the Landtag of Lower Saxony 69 seats needed for a majority, Turnout ...

2017 Lower Saxony state election

← 2013 15 October 2017 2022 →
All 137 seats in the Landtag of Lower Saxony 69 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	3,828,003 (63.1%) 3.7%
First party Second party Third party   Leader Stephan Weil Bernd Althusmann Anja Piel Party SPD CDU Greens Last election 49 seats, 32.6% 54 seats, 36.0% 20 seats, 13.7% Seats won 55 50 12 Seat change 6 4 8 Popular vote 1,413,990 1,287,191 334,130 Percentage 36.9% 33.6% 8.7% Swing 4.3% 2.4% 5.0%   Fourth party Fifth party   Leader Stefan Birkner Dana Guth Party FDP AfD Last election 14 seats, 9.9% Did not exist Seats won 11 9 Seat change 3 9 Popular vote 287,957 235,863 Percentage 7.5% 6.2% Swing 2.4% Did not exist
Results for the single-member constituencies
Government before election First Weil cabinet SPD–Green Government after election Second Weil cabinet SPD–CDU

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This was the last election, state or federal, in which the SPD gained seats or increased their share of the popular vote until the 2021 German federal election and 2021 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state election which both took place on the same day in September 2021.

Following the 2013 state election, a red-green coalition between the SPD and Greens was formed, holding a one-seat majority in the Landtag. After Green parliamentarian Elke Twesten controversially defected to the CDU on 4 August 2017, the coalition lost its majority,^[1] which prompted Minister-President Stephan Weil to schedule an early election for 15 October.^[2] The Landtag was officially dissolved on 21 August after 135 of 137 parliamentarians voted in favor, with 91 votes required for its dissolution.^[3]

The Landtag of Lower Saxony is elected using mixed-member proportional representation. Its minimum size is 135 seats. Of these, 87 are elected in single-member constituencies, and the remainder are determined by party lists. Voters have two votes: the "first vote" for candidates within each individual constituency, and the "second vote" for party lists. There is an electoral threshold of 5% of second vote to qualify for seats. Seats are allocated using the d'Hondt method, with additional overhang and leveling seats provided to ensure proportionality. The normal term of the Landtag is 5 years.^[4]

The table below lists parties represented in the 17th Landtag of Lower Saxony.

Neither the incumbent red-green coalition between the SPD and Greens nor the black-yellow opposition of the CDU and FDP secured a majority of seats in the election. Because the FDP ruled out the possibility of a traffic light coalition (between the SPD, FDP, and Greens) and the Greens ruled out a Jamaica coalition (between the CDU, Greens, and FDP),^[5] the SPD and CDU subsequently agreed to start negotiations to form a grand coalition.^[6]

On 16 November, the SPD and CDU agreed to form a government.^[7]

• 2013 Lower Saxony state election
• 2017 German federal election