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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§ 79
 

Casting of preferential votes


(1) Each voter can cast one preferential vote for any one candidate from the provincial party list and the regional party list of the party he or she has voted for.


(2) Any voter can cast a preferential vote for a candidate from the provincial party list by entering the name of the respective candidate in the space intended for this purpose on the official ballot paper. The entry is considered as valid when it indicates unambiguously which candidate from the party voted for the voter wanted to indicate by it. This is the case, in particular, when at least the surname or the last name of the candidate or, in the case of candidates with the same surname from one and the same provincial party list, any appropriate distinctive characteristic (for example the consecutive number in the provincial party list, the first name, the year of birth, the profession or the residential address) is indicated.


(3) Any voter can cast a preferential vote for a regional candidate by making a cross or any other sign with a ballpoint pen, coloured pencil, pencil or any similar writing instrument in the circle to the left of the name of the respective regional candidate from any party taking part in the election in the space provided for this in the official ballot paper. The entry is considered as valid when it shows unambiguously that the person whose name is put on the same line is the one the voter wants to cast a preferential vote for.


(4) The preferential vote for a regional candidate is also considered as valid, when the voter makes it clear in any other way, for example by ticking off, underlining or indicating in any other way or by crossing off all other regional candidates, which regional candidate he or she wants to cast a preferential vote for.


(5) The indication of a candidate by a voter is considered invalid when more than one candidate has been indicated or when the candidate indicated from a party list is not from the party the voter concerned has voted for.