Election reform in Lower Austria: Who can vote and what changes?

Election reform in Lower Austria: Who can vote and what changes?

On January 26, 2025, Lower Austria is all about the municipal council elections! Landtag President Karl Wilfing presented the requirements of the upcoming elections today and revealed that a total of 1,307,510 citizens will vote in 568 municipalities. This is 165,522 less than in the last election five years ago, a decline, which is due to the abolition of the right to vote for secondary residents in Lower Austria in 2022 href = "https://www.ots.at/presseaus-sung/ots_20250113_ots0080/1307510-niederoesterreicherinen-und-niederoesterreich-sind-bei-bei-bei-am-26-Jaenner election"> APA-OTS reported. Despite the decline, however, 144 mandates are given more, which is related to the different population in the communities.

significant changes in the election

Some new regulations are the focus of this choice. For example, voters are allowed to hand in up to five preferred votes, but only for candidates on a list. In addition, there will only be official ballots in the future. This choice applies to the principle of "name before party", which means that the preferred votes from another party only count if the party is specified on the ballot. The postal vote is also an option that can be requested by January 22nd to ensure that every citizen entitled to vote has the opportunity to give up his vote.

A total of 1.56 million ballot papers are distributed in Lower Austria, such as meinzirk.at explained. Around 30,000 election workers will provide a smooth process on the election day and do dozens of work, which add up to an estimated cost of 1.95 million euros. Wilfing expressed thanks for the commitment of the people who put themselves in the service of democracy, while at the same time it was emphasized that some polling stations could be affected by the current flood events. Nevertheless, the state electoral authority remains optimistic that replacement solutions will be found in order to be able to prevent the elections without major disorders.