Leslie Massey
Austria's voting processes are governed by the Federal Constitutional Law and include a three-stage process of allocating mandates to maximise proportionality. All Austrian citizens are entitled to vote and to be elected once they reach voting age, which is 16 for federal elections. Austria's federal president is elected for a six-year term by citizens of the Republic who are entitled to vote, by secret ballot. The country has a multi-party system and uses preferential voting, which gives voters the option to indicate their preferences within the party list they choose.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Voting System | Proportional representation |
| Voting Process | Preferential voting |
| Voter Eligibility | Austrian or EU citizen with legal residence in Austria, or Austrian citizen residing abroad |
| Voter Registration | Required for EU citizens residing in Austria and Austrian citizens without residence in Austria |
| Voting Age | 16 for federal elections; varies for state and local elections |
| Voting Method | In-person at a polling station or by postal ballot |
| Ballot Secrecy | Guaranteed by law; voters cast their ballots in private and place them in anonymous envelopes |
| Ballot Requirements | Voters must sign an affidavit declaring they filled out the ballot personally and without influence |
| National Council Elections | Held every five years, unless a snap election is called |
| Federal President Elections | Conducted every six years, with a two-round system to ensure majority support |
| Candidate Requirements | Eligible to vote in the National Assembly election and at least 35 years old by the end of election day |
| Candidate Nomination | Requires signatures from at least 6,000 eligible voters and a nomination fee of €3,600 |
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What You'll Learn
Voting eligibility
All Austrian citizens aged 16 or over are entitled to vote, regardless of gender, class, property, educational background, or religion. The only exception is if they have a court conviction carrying an unconditional sentence of more than five years' imprisonment (or, in certain cases, more than one year).
Austrian citizens with a legal residence in Austria are eligible to vote in European elections. Austrian citizens living abroad can also vote, but they must register with their Austrian municipality to do so. This registration is valid for ten years. EU citizens residing in Austria are also eligible to vote in European elections but must register in the municipality of their principal residence.
Austrian federal elections are held every five years, except when a snap election is called. The voting process takes place in person at a polling station, or by post. Postal voters must sign a declaration that they have filled in the ballot sheet themselves, in the absence of any observers. Voters cannot appoint a proxy to vote on their behalf.
The Federal President is elected for a six-year term by citizens of Austria who are entitled to vote, by secret ballot. If only one candidate runs for office, the election takes the form of a referendum.
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Voting process
Austria's voting process varies depending on the type of election and the state in which the voter is registered. Overall, the country uses a system of proportional representation, where the number of elected members from each party corresponds to the share of votes obtained by that party.
For federal elections, the voting process is governed by a specific federal election act, the Nationalrats-Wahlordnung 1992. In these elections, each state (Bundesland) constitutes an electoral unit (Landwahlkreis) and is further subdivided into regional electoral districts (Regionalwahlkreise). Austria's constituent states (Bundeslaender) vary in terms of the minimum requirements to enter the state legislature, as these elections are governed by state law. For instance, in Styria, a party must win at least one basic mandate (Grundmandat) in one of the four regional electoral districts (Wahlkreise) to participate in the allocation of the remaining mandates (Restmandate) in the second stage of the votes-to-seats conversion process.
In National Council elections, a party must meet a threshold of at least 4% of all valid votes cast nationwide or win one mandate (seat) in a regional electoral district to be represented. The National Council is elected by proportional representation, with elections taking place every five years unless a snap election is called.
The Federal President, on the other hand, is elected for a six-year term by the citizens of the Republic through a two-round system. In this system, a second round of voting is held between the two highest-ranking candidates from the first round if none achieves a majority in the initial round.
In terms of eligibility, all Austrian citizens aged 16 and above are entitled to vote, regardless of gender, class, property, educational background, or religion. Austrian citizens residing in the country vote at their principal place of residence, while those living abroad can register to vote with their Austrian municipality. EU citizens residing in Austria are also eligible to vote in European elections and must register in the municipality of their principal residence.
Voting can be done in person at a polling station or by postal ballot. Postal voting requires voters to sign a declaration stating that they filled out the ballot themselves and without any observers. The sealed ballot must then be sent to the appropriate electoral authority or an Austrian embassy, consulate, or honorary consulate, which will forward it free of charge.
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Proportional representation
Austria uses a system of proportional representation to elect its National Council, the lower house of the country's bicameral parliament. This means that the number of elected members from each party is determined by the share of electoral votes obtained by that party.
The process of converting votes to seats in federal parliamentary elections is designed to maximise proportionality through a three-stage process of allocating mandates. In state and local elections, a similar but simpler two-stage method is used. Each state has its own election law for state and local elections, while National Council elections are governed by a specific federal election act.
To be represented in the National Council, a party must either pass a threshold of at least 4% of all valid votes cast nationwide or win one mandate (seat) in one of the regional electoral districts. This threshold is in place to prevent an unmanageable number of small parties in parliament.
Voters in Austria can cast their ballots in person at a polling station or by post. Postal voting requires voters to sign a declaration that they have filled in the ballot sheet themselves and without any observers. Voting by proxy is not permitted, and each voter's choice is kept confidential.
Austria's federal president, on the other hand, is elected for a six-year term by citizens of the Republic who are entitled to vote, through a secret ballot in a free and direct general election. If only one candidate runs for office, the election takes the form of a referendum.
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National Council elections
Austria's National Council elections are held every five years, unless a snap election is called. The National Council is the lower house of Austria's bicameral parliament.
The country has a multi-party system and uses proportional representation to ensure that the number of elected members from each party is in line with the share of votes obtained. This is achieved through a three-stage process of allocating mandates. Each state (Bundesland) is an electoral unit (Landwahlkreis), and each of the nine states is further divided into regional electoral districts (Regionalwahlkreise), making a total of 39.
To be represented in the National Council, a party must 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. This threshold is in place to prevent too many small parties from splintering off and creating an unmanageable parliament.
Austrian citizens are entitled to vote and to be elected, regardless of gender, class, property, educational background, religion, etc. The only reason for exclusion is a court conviction carrying a sentence of more than five years' imprisonment. Voters can cast their ballots in person at a polling station or by post. Postal voting requires a signed declaration that the ballot has been filled in personally and in private. Voters must also sign an affidavit stating that they filled out the ballot without influence from any other person.
The right to vote can only be exercised by registered voters. While voting is no longer compulsory in any of the nine Austrian federal states, citizens of Austria who are residing abroad must register to vote with their Austrian municipality. This registration is valid for ten years.
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Presidential elections
Austrian citizens who are 16 years or older on election day may vote in elections at all levels of government. However, the minimum age to stand as a candidate is 18, except for presidential elections, where the minimum age is 35. Citizens of other European Union member states with permanent residence in Austria may vote in European Union and municipal elections.
The Federal President is elected for a six-year term by the citizens of the Republic who are entitled to vote, by secret ballot in a free and direct general election. If only one candidate runs for office, 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.
The election takes place under a two-round system to ensure that the president is supported by a majority of 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.
A legitimate candidate must be eligible to vote in the National Assembly election and must be at least 35 years old by the end of election day. Members of ruling dynasties or families that have reigned in the past and individuals who have already served two consecutive terms as Federal President cannot be elected. This is to avoid having a permanent president or elected monarch.
Voters cast their ballots in person in the presence of an election authority or a government organ entrusted with organising and running the election. In the case of postal voting, voters have to sign a solemn declaration that they have filled in the ballot sheet personally and in the absence of any observers. Nobody can appoint another person to vote for them by proxy.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria uses a system of proportional representation, which means that the number of elected members from each party is determined by the share of votes they receive. This is facilitated through a three-stage process of allocating mandates.
All Austrian citizens aged 16 and above are entitled to vote, regardless of gender, class, property, educational background, or religion. EU citizens residing in Austria are also eligible to vote in Austrian elections.
A party must either pass a threshold of at least 4% of all valid votes cast nationwide, or win a mandate (seat) in one of the regional electoral districts.
Voters typically cast their ballots in person at a polling station in their principal place of residence. Alternatively, they can vote by post or at a different polling station by submitting a signed ballot to the appropriate electoral authority.
