Vienna Election Campaign Reaches Finale on Friday
Those who do not have time to go to the polling station on Sunday can still pick up a voting card for postal voting "orally" by noon at the latest or fill out the voting card on-site at the respective election office.
The KPÖ, running in an electoral alliance with the LINKS list, kicked off early Friday morning. A "contract with the population" was signed in front of the Burgtheater at 8:00 a.m. According to this, KPÖ representatives would only keep an average skilled worker's salary and donate the rest of their salary to people in need. They also committed to not agreeing to any privatization of public property and to ensuring that the city's businesses operate for the benefit of the population. "We consistently have the interests of the Viennese in mind, who cannot rely on their bank account," said top candidate Barbara Urbanic in a statement.
ÖVP at Vienna's Rochusmarkt
The ÖVP started their campaign finale at Rochusmarkt. The weather was not kind to the Turquoise party, as top candidate Karl Mahrer, despite pouring rain and stormy gusts of wind, promoted the "Fire Extinguisher Coalition" with the SPÖ, holding a fire extinguisher in his hand. The action in the third district of Vienna was the starting signal for the final tour through the 23 districts.
The municipal council election on Sunday is a "directional election," emphasized Mahrer. The only way to initiate a "bourgeois correction" in the city is through ÖVP's participation in the government. "We are ready to take responsibility."
The Greens, NEOS, and the SPÖ are campaigning for votes once more at their closing rallies from 4 p.m. The Green top candidate Judith Pühringer appears together with the designated federal spokesperson Leonore Gewessler and former Justice Minister Alma Zadić in the "Podium" of the Architecture Center in Vienna's Museumsquartier. Just around the corner, at the Platz der Menschenrechte next to the Museumsquartier, the NEOS invite to their event - including federal party leader and Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Vienna state spokesperson and Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr, Deputy Mayor Bettina Emmerling, and top candidate Selma Arapovic.
SPÖ at Vienna's Viktor-Adler-Markt
Mayor Michael Ludwig simultaneously celebrates the election campaign finale of his SPÖ at the Viktor-Adler-Markt in Favoriten. In addition to the city leader, Deputy Mayor and Housing and Women's City Councillor Kathrin Gaal will also give a speech. The federal party chairman, Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler, will be present but, according to the Vienna state party, will not take the microphone.
The final point will be set at 5:30 PM by former FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache, who is running with his own list for the second time after being expelled from his former party - this time at Wolke 21 in the 22nd district.
Vienna Election: "Oral" Ballot Application Until 12 PM
Those who cannot go to their polling station on Sunday and still want to participate in the Vienna election need to hurry. Until 12 PM noon, one can still "orally" apply for a ballot at the election office (Magistrate). With this, postal voting (from home or abroad) or voting in "foreign" polling stations is possible. Those who personally pick up their ballot at the election office can not only use it for postal voting or voting outside their "own" polling station but can also mark and submit the ballot there immediately. If voting by mail, the ballot must arrive by election day at 5:00 PM at the latest. All information on applying for a ballot can be found at https://go.apa.at/pPijx9in.
How many ballots will be issued this time will be determined later in the afternoon. During the last election in 2020, there were 382,214 - a record that was also due to the then peak of the Corona pandemic, which led far more Viennese than ever before to decide to cast their votes for the municipal and district council elections by postal vote. In 2015, there were only 203,874.
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.