Lyla Lindsey
Austria's federal system holds two main types of elections: presidential elections and National Council elections. The National Council, or Nationalrat, is the lower house of Austria's bicameral parliament and is elected by proportional representation every five years. The Federal Council, the upper house, is composed of delegates from the states and is not directly elected. The Austrian president, or Bundespraesident, is elected by popular vote for a six-year term.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Federal elections | Presidential elections and elections to determine the composition of the National Council (Nationalrat) |
| Election of Federal President | Elected for a six-year term by popular vote through a secret ballot |
| Referendum | Binding and non-binding referendums |
| Voting age | 16 |
| Ballot requirements | Statement of candidacy, candidate list, filing fee, signatures of three members of the National Council or petition signatures of eligible voters |
| Ballot presence | To be on the ballot in all nine states, 2,600 signatures are required |
| Voting procedure | Voters select a political party on their ballot and can cast preference votes for candidates on their party's list without crossing party lines |
| National Council elections | Held every five years, unless a snap election is called |
| National Council composition | Elected by proportional representation |
| Multi-party system | Yes |
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What You'll Learn
Federal elections
The National Council, on the other hand, is elected through a system of proportional representation. This means that the number of seats allocated to each political party in the council is directly proportional to the percentage of votes they receive in the election. To be represented in the National Council, a party must meet at least one of two requirements: they must either receive at least 4% of all valid votes cast nationwide or win at least one mandate (seat) in one of the regional electoral districts. This threshold is in place to prevent an excessive number of small parties from splintering and making the parliament unmanageable.
The voting system in federal elections requires voters to select a political party rather than individual candidates. While voters can indicate their preferred candidates within their chosen party, they cannot vote for candidates from another party. This means that, despite the preference-vote feature, Austria's voting system remains primarily a party-list system.
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Presidential elections
Austria's federal president, or the Bundespräsident, is elected for a six-year term through a direct popular vote. The election takes place under a two-round system, where a first round of voting is held, and unless one candidate receives a majority, a second round is held with only the two highest-ranking candidates from the first round. The president is elected by secret ballot in a free and fair popular general election. If only one candidate runs for office, the election takes the form of a referendum, which was introduced in 1982 to allow an incumbent, universally acclaimed federal president to serve a second term without an election campaign.
The Federal Government calls the election such 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, with each nomination signed by at least 6,000 eligible voters. An amount of €3,600 must be paid at the same time.
The Austrian constitution defines two types of referendums at the federal level: binding and non-binding. A binding referendum may be mandatory, meaning that it is legally required to take place. Mandatory referendums include the removal of the president from office before the end of their term and a comprehensive change to the Federal Constitution. A binding referendum is optional in the case of non-comprehensive changes to the Federal Constitution.
The president's inauguration ceremony is followed by the Federal President’s inaugural address. This is not a statement of government policy, as the Federal President does not function as the head of the government.
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National Council elections
Austria has two main types of elections at the federal level: presidential elections and National Council elections. This answer will focus on the latter.
The National Council, or 'Nationalrat', is the lower house of Austria's bicameral parliament. National Council elections are held every five years, unless a snap election is called by the chancellor, as happened in 2017 and 2019.
To be represented in the National Council, a party must pass a threshold of at least 4% of all valid votes cast nationwide, or win a seat in one of the regional electoral districts. This threshold is in place to prevent an unmanageably large number of small parties in parliament.
Voters select a political party on their ballot paper, rather than individual candidates. They can, however, cast preference votes for particular candidates on their chosen party's list, although these votes must not cross party lines.
The most recent National Council election took place on 29 September 2024. The far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) placed first, winning 28.8% of the vote. This marked the first time a far-right party had won the most seats in a legislative election in Austria since World War II.
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Referendums
The Austrian constitution defines two types of referendums on the federal level: binding referendums and non-binding referendums. A binding referendum may be mandatory, meaning that it is legally required to take place. For instance, if the President is removed from office before the end of their term (Article 60, Section 6 of the Federal Constitution), or in the case of a comprehensive change to the Federal Constitution (Article 44, Section 3 of the Federal Constitution). A binding referendum is optional in the case of non-comprehensive changes to the Federal Constitution.
In the case of a single candidate running for the office of Federal President, the election takes the form of a referendum. This regulation was introduced in 1982 to allow an incumbent, universally acclaimed Federal President to serve a second term without an election campaign.
In some cases, a national referendum can be called by the Austrian Parliament.
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Voter eligibility
Austrian election law makes a distinction between the "active" right to vote and the "passive" right to be elected, also known as the right to stand as a candidate. This differentiation comes with different minimum age requirements, as outlined in the law. The "active" right to vote is granted to citizens who will have attained the age of 16 by election day or are older, empowering them to exercise their voting rights and directly choose their representatives.
To be eligible to vote in Austrian elections, individuals must meet the age requirement and hold Austrian citizenship. The secret ballot system ensures that each eligible voter can cast their vote anonymously, promoting a free and fair electoral process. This system is a cornerstone of democratic elections, protecting the right to privacy and helping to prevent voter intimidation or undue influence.
In addition to the age and citizenship criteria, eligible voters in Austria must also ensure they are registered to vote. This process may involve providing necessary identification and residency documentation to the relevant authorities. By maintaining an up-to-date electoral roll, the accuracy and integrity of the voting process are enhanced.
Candidates seeking to represent a political party on the ballot for the National Council elections must meet specific requirements. They must submit a statement of candidacy, a candidate list, and pay a filing fee of €435. Additionally, they need to provide either the signatures of three members of the Austrian National Council or a sufficient number of petition signatures from eligible Austrian voters. This process ensures that candidates have demonstrated a level of support and commitment to participate in the election.
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Frequently asked questions
On the federal level, there are two main types of elections in Austria: presidential elections and National Council elections.
National Council elections take place every five years, except when a snap election is called.
Austria has a multi-party system and uses a form of proportional representation. To be represented in the National Council, a party must pass a threshold of at least 4% of all valid votes cast nationwide, or win one seat in a regional electoral district.
The Austrian Federal President is elected by popular vote for a six-year term. The election takes place under a two-round system, meaning that if no candidate gets a majority in the first round, a second round is held with only the two highest-ranking candidates.
