State Elections In Austria: Understanding The Unique System

Austria is a democratic republic with a multi-party system. The territory of the Federal Republic consists of nine federal states or provinces, called Bundesland or Land. The state-level elections in Austria are called Provincial Parliament elections or Landtag elections. Austrians elect the Provincial Parliament every five or six years. Each federal province is administered by a Provincial Government, which is headed by a Provincial Governor (Landeshauptmann) elected by the respective Provincial Assembly.

National Assembly (Nationalrat) elections

Austrian citizens aged 16 and above can vote in the National Assembly elections. For a party to be represented in the National Council, it must either pass the threshold of at least 4% of all valid votes cast nationwide or win one mandate (seat) in one of the regional electoral districts.

The National Assembly is responsible for carrying out legislative tasks at the federal level, in conjunction with the Federal Council. The Federal Council, on the other hand, represents the interests of the provinces in Parliament.

The most recent National Assembly elections took place on 29 September 2024, and the next one is expected to be held in 2029.

Provincial Parliament (Landtag) elections

Austria is a democratic republic, consisting of nine federal states or provinces. The Provincial Parliament represents the interests of citizens in the individual provinces. Each federal province is administered by a Provincial Government, which is headed by a Provincial Governor (Landeshauptmann) elected by the respective Provincial Assembly.

The Provincial Parliament elections are governed by state law, which also applies to the allocation of seats. There are some minor differences among states because each state has its own election law for state and local elections.

In Styria, for example, there is no threshold requirement of 4% or any other percentage of votes for a party to gain representation in the Provincial Parliament. Instead, a party must win at least one basic mandate (Grundmandat) in one of the four regional electoral districts (Wahlkreise). The party can then aggregate its remaining votes from all four districts and participate in the allocation of the remaining mandates (Restmandate) in the second stage of the votes-to-seats conversion process.

In the 2019 Provincial Parliament elections in Styria, the ÖVP won a resounding victory, while the Greens exceeded 10% of the vote statewide for the first time in history. The Communists and the Neos won two seats each, with the former receiving 6% of the vote and the latter 5%.

The Provincial Parliament elections are an important part of Austria's democratic process, ensuring that the interests of citizens in each province are represented in the Provincial Assemblies.

Municipal Council elections

Austria's political system is federal, with the territory comprising nine federal states or provinces, each with its own Provincial Government. The Provincial Governor, or Landeshauptmann, is elected by the respective Provincial Assembly.

The Municipal Council elections are a crucial aspect of Austria's democratic process, ensuring that citizens' voices are heard at the local level.

Austrian Members of the European Parliament elections

Austrian Members of the European Parliament are elected every five or six years. Citizens of other EU countries with their main residence in Austria have the right to vote in these elections.

Austria has a multi-party system, with five political parties currently represented in the Austrian Parliament: the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), the Greens, and the NEOS.

The latest European Parliament election in Austria was held in 2024, with the following parties on the ballot:

• Communist Party of Austria Plus (KPÖ)
• Austrian Beer Party (BIER)
• BZÖ Carinthia – Alliance of Patriots (BZÖ)
• Christian Party of Austria (CPÖ)
• Every Vote Counts! (GILT)
• Socialist Left Party (SLP)

The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) won the most votes in the 2024 election, marking the first time a far-right party won the most seats in a legislative election in Austria after World War II. The Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) lost 20 seats, while the Greens lost 10.

The European Parliament elections in Austria are governed by federal law, which also applies to the elections for the National Council, the lower house of Austria's bicameral parliament.

Federal President elections

The election takes place under the two-round system to ensure that the president is supported by a majority of the voters. Under this system, a first round of voting is held, and unless one candidate gets a majority, a second round is held where only the two highest-ranking candidates from the first round are included.

The right to vote can be exercised only by individuals who are registered to vote and are at least 16 years old by the election day. The eligibility criteria to become a candidate for the Federal President election in Austria is that the person must be eligible to vote in the National Assembly election and must be at least 35 years old by the end of the election day.

The Federal Government calls the election in such a way that the newly-elected candidate can take office as soon as the outgoing President's term has ended. The announcement of the presidential election must include the election date and the filing date. Names of candidates must be submitted to the federal electoral authorities no later than 30 days before election day. Each nomination must be signed by at least 6,000 eligible voters and an amount of €3,600 must be paid at the same time. The Central Electoral Authority must announce the election results immediately in the Official Gazette.

Frequently asked questions