Ballots for Vienna Election Are Being Printed

Vienna is set to hold elections on April 27, and preparations are underway, including the printing of ballots. Each eligible voter will have the opportunity to fill out two ballots; one for the municipal council election and another for the district council election. The design of the ballots will vary depending on the electoral district, as different parties are contesting in various areas. However, seven parties will be represented on ballots across the city.

In addition to the established parties such as the SPÖ (Social Democratic Party), ÖVP (Austrian People's Party), the Greens, NEOS, and FPÖ (Freedom Party), two additional lists have gathered sufficient signatures to participate: former FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache with his team, HC Strache, and the alliance of KPÖ and LINKS.

For a party to be eligible for a citywide candidacy for the municipal council, those not currently represented in the city parliament must collect 100 supporting declarations in all 17 electoral districts. Alongside the citywide candidates, several lists will appear only in specific electoral districts. For instance, the SÖZ (Social Austria of the Future) party has submitted candidates in all districts except for the Inner West, which comprises districts 7, 8, and 9, as well as Hietzing and Döbling. The PRO 23 list will contest in Liesing, while the HERZ list will only appear in the Favoriten district.

During the district council elections, voters will have the option to select from the SPÖ, ÖVP, Greens, NEOS, FPÖ, or KPÖ in all 23 districts. Moreover, a variety of other groups are participating, although not all will appear in every district. In total, 17 different lists have submitted election proposals with sufficient backing, with some choosing to run only in a single district.

The municipal council election will see a total of 1,109,936 eligible voters, while approximately 1,374,712 individuals will be able to cast their votes in the district council elections, which includes 264,776 non-Austrian EU citizens. Voters can submit their ballots at 1,504 polling stations, or opt for mail-in voting or voting at their district office if they choose to use a ballot card.