Local council elections

Three blank spots on the black map

The elections in 568 municipalities in Lower Austria are over.(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER)

The ÖVP holds an absolute majority of seats across the country. Nevertheless, it did not make it onto the municipal council in all municipalities. 

Although the ÖVP ran candidates in all municipalities across the country on Sunday, three blank spots remain on the black map. In Wimpassing im Schwarzatale, Golling an der Erlauf and Trumau it was not enough for a mandate. The SPÖ missed out on entering the local parliaments seven times, the FPÖ six times. However, even though it will not be represented in all town halls, the People's Party remains the dominant force in local communities. Because 46.97 percent of all votes were enough for 6,488 mandates. And that is an absolute majority - the competition has a combined total of 5425 seats.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV)

Strongholds in all party colors
Apart from the six places where the ÖVP stood alone on the ballot paper due to a lack of other candidates and therefore achieved 100 percent, Wildendürnbach in the Weinviertel is the black stronghold in the state. Here the ÖVP achieved 93.7 percent. The SPÖ's highest score was 87.6 percent in Enzenreith in the district of Neunkirchen. And with 37.9 percent, the Freedom Party has its largest home base in Amaliendorf-Aalfang in the Waldviertel. The green and pink centers can all be found in the Vienna area: in Maria Lanzendorf the Greens achieved 34.4 percent, in Perchtoldsdorf the Neos 14.3 percent.

Voter turnout has risen
The Viennese went to the polls on Sunday with more commitment than five years ago. At 69.04%, voter turnout was significantly higher than in 2020 - when it was 65.61%. The "most diligent" voters this time were to be found in Dorfstetten in the district of Melk, where 429 out of 455 citizens (94.29 percent) exercised their right to vote. This was followed by Hundsheim in the district of Bruck an der Leitha and Hirschbach in the Waldviertel with more than 92 percent each. Schwechat came last in terms of voter turnout with 46.94 percent. The town was therefore the only municipality in Lower Austria where less than half of those eligible to vote made a cross on the ballot paper.

An anxious wait for official results
The results of the 568 municipal council elections are not yet set in stone. Election challenges are still possible until February 10. The earliest date for the constituent meetings of the new municipal councils is therefore February 11. If the result is not contested, the local councils must meet for the first time by March 11.