In the long term, interest in the election of the Federal President has steadily declined over the past four decades. Until 1980 participation was still very high, over 90 percent. That was due to compulsory voting. It applied to the Hofburg elections throughout Austria until 1982. After that, it could still be ordered by provincial law. This was still the case in four countries in 1986 and 1992. In 1998, Tyrol and Vorarlberg still had compulsory voting, in 2004 only Tyrol – and 2010 was the first election in which there was no obligation to vote anywhere in Austria.
Since when has participation been falling?
In the 1990s, participation fell from election to election to just over 80 percent, in 1998 a weak three-quarters of those eligible took part, in 2004 just over 70 percent – and in 2010 participation collapsed in the re-election Heinz Fischer to 53.57 percent. At the time, this was due to the fact that the ÖVP did not have its own candidate in the running, but in view of the SPÖ party career it could not bring itself to support Fischer. Many ÖVP voters stayed at home or voted “white”.
Eligible voters, votes cast and turnout at the
Presidential elections since 1951:
election election election Submitted ballot.
1951 1. WG 4.513.597 4.370.574 96,83
2. WG 4.513.597 4.373.194 96,89
1957 4.630.997 4.499.565 97,16
1963 4.869.603 4.654.657 95,59
1965 4.874.928 4.679.427 95,99
1971 5.024.324 4.787.706 95,29
1974 5.031.772 4.733.016 94,06
1980 5.215.875 4.779.054 91,63
1986 1. WG 5.436.846 4.864.709 89,48
2. WG 5.436.846 4.745.849 87,29
1992 1. WG 5.676.903 4.788.894 84,36
2. WG 5.676.903 4.592.932 80,91
1998 5.848.584 4.351.272 74,40
2004 6.030.982 4.318.439 71,60
2010 6.355.800 3.404.646 53,57
2016 1. WG 6,382.507 4.371.825 68,50
2. WG 6,382,507 4,637,046 72.65 (May 22, cancelled)
WH 2. WG 6,399,607 4,749,339 74.21 (4.12., repetition)
2022 6.363.489 4.148.079 65,19