Ballot paper, voting card

Preparations for the EU election are in full swing

Voting cards for the EU elections can still be applied for until June 7.(Bild: APA/Georg Hochmuth)

The Austrian electoral authorities are already preparing for the EU elections on Sunday, June 9. The ballot papers are currently being printed, with around eight million ballot papers and two million polling cards being produced.

Around 6.4 million people are eligible to vote in Austria. As the law stipulates a reserve of 20 percent, more ballot papers are being printed. However, there is no legal reserve for polling cards. According to the electoral authority, this is based on the orders placed by the individual authorities, which usually include a certain reserve.

Apply for polling cards by June 7
Polling cards can still be applied for until shortly before the election - in writing (by email, fax, letter or via an online portal) until June 5 and in person at the municipal office or magistrate's office until June 7. The polling cards will be delivered from next Thursday at the latest. Some Austrians who live abroad have a polling card subscription.

Enclosed with the cards is the list of all candidates, as preferential votes can be awarded. Each party may nominate a maximum of 42 candidates. In Austria, voters can choose between the five parliamentary parties ÖVP, SPÖ, FPÖ, Greens and NEOS as well as the DNA list, which criticizes corona measures, and the KPÖ.

Ranking depends on the last result
The ranking on the ballot paper depends on how many seats were won in the last EU election. In the event of a tie, the exact total of votes is decisive. As the DNA and KPÖ are not represented in the EU Parliament, they are listed in the last two places.