Elections in Austria

Austria
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Austria
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This article provides information on elections and election results in Austria.

On a federal level, there are two main elections: for head of state (Federal President) every six years, and for the 183 seats of the National Council (Nationalrat) every five years by proportional representation.

Austria has a multi-party system. From 1945 to 1986 Austria had two main parties, with a third party also winning seats in the National Council. Since 1986 there have been generally four parties, for a few years even five. At least 4% of the popular vote, or a parliamentary seat in one of the regional constituencies, is needed for representation in the National Council.^[1]

In some cases, a referendum can be called on by the Austrian Parliament.

In 2007, the voting age was lowered from 18 to 16 in all federal elections, following some states which had lowered it for state and local elections before that.

Eligibility

Austrian citizens who are 16 years or older may stand at elections. Additionally citizens of European Union member states with a permanent residence in Austria may vote at European Union and municipal elections.^[2] Citizens who are sentenced to more than one year of imprisonment lose their voting rights.^[3] An exception to the rule is the presidential election, where the minimum age to stand as candidate is 35. Until 2011, members of current or former ruling houses (i.e. members of the Habsburg family) were ineligible for the office.^[4]

Latest elections

2013 Parliamentary election

2016 Presidential election

Past elections

Elections and referendums in Austria
As Cisleithania (1848–1918) Imperial Council elections 1848 1867 1871–72 1873 1879 1885 1891 1897 1900–01 1907 1911
Republic of Austria (1918–present) Parliamentary elections 1919 1920 1923 1927 1930 1945 1949 1953 1956 1959 1962 1966 1970 1971 1975 1979 1983 1986 1990 1994 1995 1999 2002 2006 2008 2013 2017 Presidential elections 1951 1957 1963 1965 1971 1974 1980 1986 1992 1998 2004 2010 2016 European elections 1996 1999 2004 2009 2014 Referendums 1938 1978 1994 2013

Local elections in  Austria
State elections	Burgenland 1945 1949 1953 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1977 1982 1987 1991 1996 2000 2005 2010 2015 Carinthia 1945 1949 1953 1956 1960 1965 1970 1975 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2013 Lower Austria 1945 1949 1954 1959 1964 1969 1974 1979 1983 1988 1993 1998 2003 2008 2013 Salzburg 1945 1949 1954 1959 1964 1969 1974 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2013 Styria 1945 1949 1953 1957 1961 1965 1970 1974 1978 1981 1986 1991 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 Tyrol 1945 1949 1953 1957 1961 1965 1970 1975 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2003 2008 2013 Upper Austria 1945 1949 1955 1961 1967 1973 1979 1985 1991 1997 2003 2009 2015 Vienna 1945 1949 1954 1959 1964 1969 1973 1978 1983 1987 1991 1996 2001 2005 2010 2015 Vorarlberg 1945 1949 1954 1959 1964 1969 1974 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014
Municipal and mayoral elections	Burgenland 2002 2007 Carinthia 2003 2009 Lower Austria 2005  Krems an der Donau 1950 1955 1957 1962 1967 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007 Salzburg 2004 2009 Styria 2005 2010  Graz 2003 2008 2012 Tyrol 2004  Innsbruck 2006 Upper Austria 2003 Vienna 1945 1949 1954 1959 1964 1969 1973 1978 1983 1987 1991 1996 2001 2005 2010 Vorarlberg 2005

Referenda

Austrian constitution defines two types of referendums on the federal level: binding referendum and non-binding referendum.

Binding referendum

Binding referendum is mandatory:

• if the President should be removed from office before the end of his term (Article 60, Section 6 of the Federal Constitution), and
• in case of comprehensive change of the Federal Constitution (Article 44, Section 3 of the Federal Constitution).

Binding referendum is facultative (not mandatory) in case of non-comprehensive changes in the Federal Constitution. Such facultative referendum is to be conducted if at least one third of the members of the National Council or the Federal Council requests it.

There were only two binding referendums in post-1945 Austria: The nuclear power referendum in 1978 and the European Union membership referendum which was called because accession to European Union was deemed to be a comprehensive change to Constitution.

Non-binding referendum

The National Council has the power to call on a non-binding referendum on matters of great importance. Such referendum is called by majority of members of the National Council. Results of such a referendum are advisory. There was one such referendum in post-1945 Austria:

• the conscription referendum in 2013

The "no" option won, and the National Council accepted the result of the referendum and acted accordingly.

See also

• Electoral calendar
• Electoral system

References

External links

• Adam Carr's Election Archive
• Parties and elections
• Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior: Elections
• NSD: European Election Database - Austria publishes regional level election data; allows for comparisons of election results, 1990-2008