The 2025 Vienna municipal and district council elections are set for Sunday, April 27th, with over 1.4 million people expected to cast their votes.
These elections will decide who leads Vienna at the city and district levels. However, despite living and working in Vienna, many foreign residents won’t have a say in these decisions.
Who can vote?
Only Austrian citizens who are at least 16 years old on election day and have their main residence in Vienna by January 28th, 2025, can vote in the municipal council elections - and decide on who will be the mayor.
The district council elections - which will decide the heads of each district (Bezirk) in the city - are more inclusive, as EU citizens living in Vienna are also eligible to vote.
Non-EU residents, who make up a large portion of Vienna’s population, are excluded from both elections.
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Checking the voter roll
If you’re eligible, you’ll receive a notice in early February listing the number of voters registered in your household.
If something seems off - like your name missing or if you don't get a notice - you can request changes during the correction period, which runs from February 18th to 27th. Then, the voter roll will be available for inspection (including changes) at municipal district offices. You can find your nearest office here.
How to vote
You will receive an official letter stating the location of your polling station about two weeks before election day.
If you can’t vote in person, you can apply for a polling card to vote by post starting March 31st. Applications are open until April 23rd (in writing) or April 25th (in person, by noon).
READ ALSO: Why 1.5 million people can't vote in Austria's crucial federal election
Who’s running this year?
Alongside big players like the centre-left SPÖ, far-right FPÖ, Greens, centre-right ÖVP, and liberal NEOS, a mix of smaller parties and alliances are throwing their hats in the ring.
These include groups like Team HC Strache - Alliance for Austria, the Freisinnige, and SÖZ. There’s also buzz about new alliances, such as KPÖ and LINKS, considering a joint bid and smaller platforms like the Homeless Platform and the Islamic Party of Austria teaming up with other groups.
Recent polls show the SPÖ leading with 36 percent of voter support, which marks a 5 percent drop from the last elections.
The FPÖ has made significant gains, now polling at 20 percent, an increase of 12 points. The Greens followed with 16 percent, up by 1.2 points, while the ÖVP has dropped to 12 percent, losing 8.4 points.
The NEOS are at 10 percent, up 2.5 points, while smaller parties like the KPÖ (4 percent, up 1.94 points) and the Bier Party (1 percent) are also present.
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What hurdles do parties face?
Parties aiming to win seats in the municipal council need to clear a 5 percent threshold of the overall vote.
Some, like the NEOS, have previously pushed to lower this hurdle to 3 percent, but no changes have been made so far. Smaller or new parties must also collect 100 declarations of support from voters in each of Vienna’s 18 electoral districts to qualify for the municipal elections. For district council elections, they need 50 signatures per district.
A city of foreigners but limited voting rights
Vienna is one of Europe’s most international cities, but many of its population is excluded from voting.
In Austria, the right to vote is tied to citizenship, which means that 34.6 percent of Vienna’s population aged 16 and over is not eligible to vote at the federal, state, or municipal levels. This includes both long-term residents and young people born and raised in Vienna who hold foreign citizenship.
At the beginning of 2024, only 65.4 percent of Viennese aged 16 and over had Austrian citizenship, granting them the right to vote at all levels.
READ ALSO: 'I won't give up my nationality': Why foreigners choose not to become Austrian
Another 15 percent of Vienna’s voting-age population were citizens of other EU countries, allowing them to vote in district council elections but not in municipal or state elections. The remaining 19.6 percent, who are citizens of non-EU countries, cannot vote at any level.
Young people with foreign citizenship are particularly affected by this exclusion. Among Viennese aged 16 to 24, 40.9 percent are not eligible to vote in federal, state, or municipal elections. The issue is even more pronounced among those aged 25 to 44, where nearly 45.7 percent lack voting rights due to their foreign citizenship.
READ ALSO: Diversity and jobs: How migrants contribute to Vienna's economy
Non-citizens play a big role in Vienna’s economy, culture, and community, but many are still left out when it comes to having a say in politics. Despite ongoing calls to expand voting rights, the rules haven’t changed, meaning a large part of the population has no voice in deciding the city’s future.
For more information about eligibility, deadlines, and how to vote, visit the City of Vienna’s election website.
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