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What motivates you to vote?

For weeks now, it has been hard to avoid the campaign announcements, election rallies and election forecasts of the various parties. Today the time has finally come: Austria is electing its National Council. Have you already gone to the polls and what motivates you to do so?

Are you going to vote?
Austrian citizens are entitled to vote if they have reached the age of 16 on the day of the National Council election at the latest. Voting offers the opportunity to influence Austria's political future and set the course for issues such as animal welfare, environmental protection, economic and refugee policy. Voter turnout is a sign of interest and responsibility towards the community and the future. But not everyone can bring themselves to vote. Reasons given for not voting include the time involved or disappointment with politics in general.

Do you generally see voting as a civic duty? Why are you going to vote this weekend, why not? Do you feel that one of the parties represents your interests (at least for the most part)? Or do you vote for "the least of evils"? How do you find out about the parties and their programs? What do you think could be done to increase voter turnout? Let us know your thoughts on this!