FAQs General Municipal Council Elections 2025

The General Municipal Council Elections will be held on Sunday, January 26, 2025.

1.     The General Municipal Council Elections will take place in all municipalities except for the market municipality of Pernersdorf, the market municipality of Vösendorf, and the statutory cities. The General Municipal Council Elections should not be confused with the municipal elections of the city of Wiener Neustadt, which, however, have been scheduled for the same day by the magistrate of this city.

The key date is Monday, September 30, 2024. The requirements for voting eligibility are based on this date, except for the voting age, which is determined by the election day.

Eligible to vote are all Austrian citizens and all citizens of other EU member states who turn 16 by the election day, are not excluded from voting, and have their principal residence in the municipality, as defined by Art. 6 paras. 3 and 4 of the Federal Constitutional Law (B-VG).

Eligible to be elected are all voters who turn 18 by the election day and have not been definitively sentenced by an Austrian court for one or more intentional criminal acts punishable by law and prosecuted ex officio with an unconditional prison sentence exceeding six months or a conditional prison sentence exceeding one year. Disqualification from eligibility ends after six months. This period begins once the sentence is served, and any preventive measures associated with the deprivation of liberty have been executed or ceased; if the sentence is served solely through pretrial detention or was entirely conditionally suspended, the period begins with the finality of the judgment.

The voter register lists all eligible voters. Only those listed in the voter register are allowed to vote.

To run for a seat in the municipal council, individuals must meet the requirements for passive voting rights in the respective municipality and be listed as a candidate on a validly submitted election proposal from a political party in that municipality. This also includes the candidate's declaration of consent to be included on the election proposal and a statement confirming they are not running as a candidate on an election proposal from another party for a seat in the municipal council.

A document or official certificate proving identity must be presented. Acceptable forms of ID include:

• Identity cards
• Passports
• Driver’s licenses
• Other official photo IDs

Presentation of such a document or certificate is not required if the voter is personally known to the majority of the election authority members.

A ballot is valid if:

• The selected party is clearly identified. This can be done not only by marking an “X” but also through other markings indicating the voter’s intent to choose the party listed in the same column, e.g., by ticking, underlining, or crossing out all other parties.
• At least the name of one candidate or the names of several candidates from the same party are indicated.
• Alongside one or more party names (political parties), the name of one or more candidates from one of the listed or another party is included, provided that all indicated candidates belong to the same party (“candidate name overrides party name”).
• It contains additional words, comments, or markings alongside the party name, as long as these do not create a reason for invalidation.

A ballot is invalid if:

• It exclusively indicates two or more parties.
• Without valid preferential votes, it lists names from different party lists.
• The named candidate lacks a distinguishing feature and could be confused with a candidate from another party list.
• It is blank or damaged in such a way that it is no longer clear which party or candidate the voter intended to vote for.
• It contains only words, comments, or markings without indicating a party name or candidate.

Preferential votes are cast by marking (e.g., ticking or checking) candidates on the ballot or by writing their name on the ballot. Only candidates from the same party can be selected.
A maximum of 5 preferential votes can be cast.
If more than 5 preferential votes are cast, these votes are invalid. However, such a ballot still counts as a vote for the party to which the candidates belong, provided all selected candidates belong to the same party, even if a different party is indicated.

A voting card can be requested by:

• Individuals who will likely be in a different electoral district within the municipality on election day and therefore cannot vote in their registered district.
• Bedridden individuals and those restricted in their freedom.
• Eligible voters who, due to absence, health reasons, or being abroad, are expected to be unable to vote in person on election day and wish to exercise their right through postal voting.

Voting cards can be requested in writing until the 4th day before election day (Wednesday, January 22, 2025) or orally until the 2nd day before election day (Friday, January 24, 2025) by 12:00 noon. It is not possible to request a voting card by phone.

A voting card must be requested to vote by post. When casting your vote by postal voting, the following must be observed:

• The completed ballot must be placed inside the voting envelope.
• The voting envelope must be placed inside the voting card.
• The affidavit must be signed, declaring that the right to vote was exercised personally, unobserved, and uninfluenced.
• The voting card must be sealed.
• The voting card must then be placed inside the pre-addressed outer envelope.
• The voting card must arrive at the municipality by 6:30 AM on January 26, 2025, or by the closing of polls at the designated electoral district.

• The voting card must be brought to the polling station.
• Voting with a voting card is only possible within your own municipality. Voting with a voting card in another municipality is not allowed.

No, duplicates of voting cards may not be issued by the municipality.