Home > 1.3.2.1 Ballots and election material > AUSTRIA - Federal Law on National Council Elections (Regulations on National Council Elections 1992 – NRWO)
 
 
 
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§ 72
 

Exercising the right to voting by patients in hospitals and nursing homes


(1) In order to facilitate the casting of votes by patients in hospitals and nursing homes, the municipal elections authorities and in the City of Vienna the Vienna City Administration, may set up one or more special wards in the area of these institutions. In these cases the regulations set out in § 52 and § 54 are to be taken into consideration. The acceptance of votes that are cast by other persons present in hospitals and nursing homes is permissible.


(2) If wards are formed according to para 1, the patients who are able to walk have to cast their votes in the polling station administered by the respective ward elections authorities in accordance with para 1. The same applies to patients who are able to walk who cast their vote by means of voting card.


(3) In order to collect the votes of bedridden patients in the institutions mentioned above, the responsible district elections authority according to para 1 can also enter into the rooms of the patients concerned. In such cases appropriate facilities have to be set up (such as for example a wooden frame covered with material, or a similar device) to ensure that the patient can fill in the ballot paper and put it in an envelope given to them by the returning officer, without being observed by any other person in the room. 


(4) Furthermore, provisions of this federal law, and especially those in § 39 and § 40 as well as § 68 and § 70 concerning the participation in the elections and the exercising of the right to vote by voting card, must also be observed by voting according to paras 2 and 3.