Are You Registered To Vote?

Some important information for Austrian citizens living outside of Austria on voter registration ahead of this year's upcoming elections

Photo by Arnaud Jaegers on Unsplash

Servus!

Are you an Austrian citizen living outside of Austria? Then this edition of the newsletter is for you. Austria will hold European elections on June 9 and parliamentary elections in 2024—likely on June 9 or at the end of September. For Austrians living abroad—including descendants of victims of National Socialism who have successfully reclaimed their Austrian citizenship in recent years—now is the time to register to vote from overseas by mail if you haven’t done so already. You can find the form here.

Some information on filling out the form. It is important that, under points (2) and (17), if you wish to participate in all elections in Austria, you elect to join both the regular voter roll (Wählerevidenz) and the voter roll for the European elections (Europa-Wählerevidenz). If you are an Austrian citizen who lives in another EU member state (i.e. France, Germany, etc.) but wishes to participate in the European elections in Austria instead of the country in which you reside, then you should also mark the box under point (16). If you live in another EU member state and wish to participate in the European elections in that state, you should only apply to join the regular voter roll in Austria.

Regarding points (5)-(15), in registering to vote overseas, Austrian citizens are required to name a point of connection (Anknüpfungspunkt) to Austria. This is to determine which local authority (Gemeinde) will handle your voter registration application¹. The points of connection are listed in order of importance. You are only required to name one, and you should name the most important one you can. They are as follows:

• (5) Previous voter registration in Austria

• (6) Last registered main address (Hauptwohnsitz) in Austria

• (7) Parents’ last registered main address in Austria

• (8) Place of birth in Austria

• (9) Spouse’s last registered main address in Austria

• (10) Another relative’s last registered main address in Austria

• (11) Employer’s address in Austria

• (12) Property rights to land or an apartment in Austria

• (13) Other assets in Austria

In the unlikely event that none of these apply to you, point (14) allows you to name another point of connection you may have to Austria. This could be a short-term stay in Austria you had in the past. In the case of descendants of victims of National Socialism, that you applied for citizenship as a descendant of victims of National Socialism pursuant to the change in the law and your case was handled by the MA35 in Vienna is considered a point of connection.

Your completed application—along with a copy of a document demonstrating your point of connection to Austria and a copy of your Austrian passport or identity card—should be sent either by post, fax, or email directly to the relevant local authority. Please note the relevant local authority under point (1) and the supporting evidence you are sending along with your application under point (18). If your point of connection is with Vienna, the relevant authority is the MA62 and their email address for voter registration applications is wahl@ma62.wien.gv.at. A full list of local authorities in Austria can be found here.

With the European elections only a few months away, there’s no time like the present to register and make sure you don’t miss out on the chance to exercise your right to vote and participate in the Austrian political process. If you have any further questions about voter registration, I would suggest contacting your local Austrian embassy or consulate. If you’ve already registered to vote, consider share your experience in the comments below to help others. If there’s someone you know who you think still needs to register to vote from overseas and is not subscribed to this newsletter, consider sharing this post with them. Good luck!

Bis bald!

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1. For example: If your last main address in Austria was in Salzburg, then the Salzburg local authority will handle your case.