Styrian voters seize the opportunity: More advance votes in local council elections!

Styrian voters seize the opportunity: More advance votes in local council elections!

On Sunday, March 16, 2025, the local council elections took place in 96 municipalities in Vorarlberg, where a total of 307,890 eligible citizens were able to cast their votes. Most of the votes have already been counted and some B mayoral elections are still pending, such as in Dornbirn, where a runoff election between Julian Fäßler (ÖVP) and Markus Fäßler (SPÖ) will be required. In the state capital Bregenz, Mayor Michael Ritsch (SPÖ) successfully maintained his position. Bludenz was able to enjoy a clear election victory for Simon Tschann (ÖVP), while the FPÖ with incumbent Dieter Egger remains at the top in Hohenems, followed by the “Greens & Independents Hohenems” with 15 percent.

High voter turnout in Styria

Parallel to the election events in Vorarlberg, many citizens in Styria also took advantage of the opportunity to vote early. This was particularly noticeable in the municipalities of Tieschen in the Southeast Styria district and St. Lambrecht in the Murau district, where around 200 of around 1,500 eligible voters cast their votes in advance. Mayor Martin Weber (SPÖ) praised the population's decision, as every vote in a local council election is of great importance. In St. Lambrecht, those responsible hope to significantly exceed the voter turnout of 69 percent from the last elections in 2020.

The response to early voting was particularly noticeable in Gamlitz, where Fritz Partl (ÖVP) is running as the new top candidate. There is a great demand for voting cards, which, according to Hannes Andrä, SPÖ mayor of Altenmarkt St. Gallen, does not place an unnecessary burden on the municipalities' administrative effort, as the processes remain effective. You can still apply for an in-person voting card until Friday, and all votes must be received by the polls closing in order to be counted.