Everything you need to know before voting in Vienna
The Austrian capital Vienna will witness special elections on Sunday, where voting will take place at two levels: the election of the Gemeinderat (City Council) and the election of the Bezirksvertretungen (District Councils of the 23 districts). To ensure the voting process runs smoothly, here is the important information:
Polling stations open at 7:00 AM and voting continues until 5:00 PM. The following parties are participating in the city-wide elections: SPÖ, ÖVP, Grüne, Neos, FPÖ, KPÖ/LINKS, and Team Strache, along with three other lists competing only in certain electoral districts.
All Austrian citizens aged 16 and over who have a primary residence in Vienna have the right to vote for the Gemeinderat election. In the Bezirksvertretung elections, EU citizens residing in Vienna are also allowed to vote.
To avoid any confusion, two different colored ballots are used: the white ballot is designated for the Gemeinderat elections, while the yellow ballot is for the Bezirksvertretung elections.
In the Gemeinderat elections, voters can give three preferential votes: one for a candidate from the electoral district and two from the city’s party list. In contrast, in the Bezirksvertretung elections, only one preferential vote can be given.
It is important to note that giving a preferential vote to a candidate from a different party than the one chosen will invalidate the vote. As for those voting by Wahlkarte (postal ballot), their votes must reach the relevant electoral committee in the district by 5 PM on Sunday.