Salzburg run-off elections

Every single vote counts in 14 towns today

If one vote were to shift from Bernhard Auinger (left) to Kay-Michael Dankl in the run-off election on Sunday, this would weigh twice as heavily. The reverse is also true, of course.(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

From Neukirchen to Schleedorf, with Auinger (SPÖ) against Dankl (KPÖ Plus) in the city: in the run-off election for the office of mayor, little things will count in 14 towns in the province. Some votes will even weigh twice as much.

The run-off election between Bernhard Auinger of the SPÖ and Kay-Michael Dankl of the KPÖ Plus is electrifying not only Austria today. The city of Mozart is also being watched with suspicious eyes from abroad. After coming second in the compulsory election on March 10, Dankl could now make history by coming first in the freestyle: If he were to put the slight favorite Bernhard Auinger in his place, Dankl would be the first communist in the mayor's seat on the Salzach, the outcry would be unmistakable.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV, Markus Tschepp)

However, Salzburg is only one of a total of 14 places in the province where people are deciding between two candidates today. Run-off elections will take place twice in Pinzgau, Pongau (five times), Tennengau (three times) and three times in Flachgau. Whether in Pinzgau or in the city, the math says that some votes actually weigh twice as much. This is the case when it moves from candidate A to candidate B compared to the first election - or vice versa.

Political climber Kay-Michael Dankl is given a chance in the run-off, albeit only a small one(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

Special focus on 25,000 voters
There is an even bigger gap in the popularity of non-voters. In the provincial capital in particular, however, the outcome will ultimately be decided by those 25,469 voters who recently gave their support to the ÖVP, FPÖ, Bürgerliste, Liste SALZ or NEOS. They accounted for around 43% of the votes cast and are highly likely to vote again - but now it is a matter of deciding between red and dark red.

However, there are signs of real heartbeat finals elsewhere: In Neumarkt, there were only 106 between the top candidates in the first round of voting, 88 in St. Johann, 19 in Strobl such as Forstau, twelve in Mühlbach am Hochkönig and just seven in Bad Vigaun.