Voter Turnout in Vienna Continues to Decline
The voter turnout in the Vienna municipal council election has decreased again compared to 2020. On Sunday, according to the preliminary final result (including postal vote forecast), 62.8 percent of eligible voters exercised their right to vote. In the Vienna election five years ago, less than two-thirds (65.27 percent) of eligible voters went to the polls.
The Ibiza and expense scandal of the FPÖ as well as the Corona pandemic caused the voter turnout to drop by more than 9 percentage points at that time. On Sunday, it decreased once again.
Lowest Voter Turnout in 2005
However, the historical low was not reached. For that, the turnout would have had to fall below 60.81 percent, which it did in 2005. In 2010 and 2015, there was a - quite remarkable - increase of around seven percentage points each. With 74.75 percent, the interest in 2015 was as high as it had last been in 1983. The reason for the mobilization of voters was the strong polarization in light of the refugee crisis and the predicted or staged "Duel for Vienna" between FPÖ and SPÖ.
Vienna Election Stood Out
Vienna is thus not in line with the national trend. In all state elections since 2022, the proportion of votes cast has increased. The current record holder among the federal states is Burgenland with 78.73 percent, while the lowest is Tyrol, although even there the voter turnout recovered from 60.00 percent to at least 65.02 percent in 2022. Vienna now falls below that with 62.7 percent.
(APA/Red)
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