Voting card

General information

Persons entitled to vote must in principle exercise their right to vote where they have their main residance and are entered in the voter register or the voters list. Voters can also cast their vote independently with an election card.

The following statements apply mutatis mutandis to voting cards for referendums and popular consultations.

An voting card should be applied for in good time before the election from

• voters who are unlikely to be able to go to their polling station on election day (e.g. because they are elsewhere in the country or temporarily abroad or cannot leave their home), and
• Austrians with their main residence abroad.

In case of postal voting, you can vote immediately after receiving your voting card and without the presence of an electoral board. When abroad, voting is only possible by means of postal voting.

In principle, every polling station is also a polling station for voters with voting card; however, in the case of national council elections, it is possible that not all polling stations in a building with several polling stations are also intended for voters with voting card (but at least one polling station).

Please note that on election day you can only vote before an electoral board with an unfilled voting card (not glued, without an affidavit) and its contents by handing over your voting documents to the electoral officer as you received them.

There may be different regulations for state parliamentary elections, municipal council and mayoral elections. Please get to know about your province in good time on the website of the respective office of the provincial government.

Deadlines

It is possible to apply for an voting card from the day the election is announced (several weeks before the election, depending on the electoral event).

National Council elections and federal presidential elections as well as European elections

• In the case of federal presidential elections and national parliamentary elections as well as European elections, a written application is generally possible until at the latest on the fourth day before the election.
• If it is possible to hand over the voting card in person to a person authorised by the applicant, a written application may be submitted by no later than 12:00 noon on the second day before the election day. The power of attorney must be in the name of the authorised person.
• An oral (but not telephone) application is also possible until no later than 12:00 noon on the second day before election day. (If the election takes place on a Sunday, the deadline is 12:00 noon on the Friday before the election).

Provincial parliament elections, local council elections and Vienna elections

For Provincial parliament elections, municipal council elections and Viennese elections, other deadlines for applying for an voting card may apply. Please get to know about your province in good time on the website of the respective office of the provincial government.

Submit your application in good time to ensure delivery by post before the election.

Competent authority

• The municipality in which the person entitled to vote is entered on the electoral roll
  • In Vienna: the election offices in the district in which the person entitled to vote is entered in the register of voters

As an Austrian living abroad, you can also submit your voting card application to the Austrian representation authority (→ BMEIA) (embassy, consulate general, consulate), which will forward it to the competent municipality, provided you are registered as a voter in an Austrian municipality. If you are unable to provide a definitive delivery address abroad, you have the option of having your voting card sent to an Austrian representative authority or to a post office abroad.

Procedure

An voting card can be applied for in writing or orally (by appearing in person) at the competent authority. Many cities and municipalities also offer you the option of applying for voting cards online (for example via an online portal or via the “Digital Office” with ID Austria). Applications by telephone are not possible.

The authority checks whether the person is listed in the respective electoral roll. If the application for an voting card is granted, it will be sent out.

It is also possible to apply for an automatic delivery of voting cards for persons who are unable to visit an polling station due to a physical disability.

The voting card is a sealable envelope. The voting card contains the official ballot paper and the ballot envelope. On the voting card you will find instructions on how to cast the postal vote. An information sheet is enclosed with the voting card.

The dispatch of voting cards by the municipalities only takes place just three weeks before election day, as soon as the official ballot papers have been printed.

On the day of the election, voters can cast their votes with voting card at polling stations that accept voting cards. Voting by election cards can also be done by postal voting or before a flying electoral commission on election day. In case of postal voting, you can vote immediately after receiving your voting card and without the presence of an electoral authority.

When voting at the polling station, the unfilled voting card (unglued, without a declaration in lieu of an oath) and its contents must be handed over to the election officer at the polling station. This person will then explain the next steps.

There may be different regulations for provincial parliamentary elections, municipal council and mayoral elections. Please get to know about your province in good time on the website of the respective office of the provincial government.

Required documents

• In case of personal appearance (oral application): an identity document (e.g. official photo ID)
• In case of a written application: credible proof of identity (e.g. by stating the passport number, by submitting a copy of an official photo ID or another document)

Exception: In the case of a written application, no substantiation is required if the applicant is personally known to the authority or the application was submitted electronically and provided with a qualified electronic signature (ID Austria).

The authority checks whether the person is listed in the respective electoral roll.

If the application for an voting card is granted, an official ballot paper, an information sheet and a sealable ballot envelope will be sent in addition to the voting card

Costs and fees

The voting card is issued free of charge. The postage costs in the case of postal voting are also borne by the federal government, regardless of where you send the voting card from.

Further information

For more information on voting abroad and returning the voting card to Austria in good time, see "Voting abroad". Further information on the procedure for postal voting can be found in section "Postal voting". Further information on the application for a visit by a "flying electoral commission" can also be found at oesterreich.gv.at.

Legal basis

• Nationalrats-Wahlordnung (NRWO)
• Bundespräsidentenwahlgesetz (BPräsWG)
• Europawahlordnung (EuWO)
• section 5 of the Volksabstimmungsgesetz (VAbstG)
• section 5a of the Volksbefragungsgesetz (VBefrG)

Link to form

The application form is available online from about eight weeks before an election takes place.

• Online service for applying for a voting card via oesterreich.gv.at
• Online application for a voting card (form from your municipality)