German election: Voters head to the polls, then to Twitter

Germany's election kicked off on Sunday, starting at voting booths and then sweeping social media.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is trying for a third four-year term in the nation's first big vote since the financial crisis began to seriously destabilize the European economy.

Merkel's pro-euro views have been controversial in Germany.

More from GlobalPost: Germany Votes: The Road Trip

Merkel is being challenged by the center-left Social Democrats party (SPD), led by Peer Steinbrueck, as well as a potential coalition of leftist and Green parties, according to BBC News.

Sunday's vote could push Merkel into a partnership with the SPD if her ruling coalition — the Christian Democrats and the Free Democrats — do not secure enough seats in parliament.

The election in Germany, a nation seen as a leading policymaker in European affairs, is being closely watched.

Here's how that's been going down on Twitter: