page_title: 2016 Austrian presidential election
section_title: Results
hierarchical_section_title: 2016 Austrian presidential election / Results
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Verhandlung der Wahlanfechtung der Bundespräsidentenwahl in Österreich 2016
context_page_description: Presidential elections were held in Austria on 24 April 2016, with a second round run-off on 22 May 2016. However, the results of the second round were annulled and a re-vote took place on 4 December 2016.
  The President of Austria is directly elected by universal adult suffrage once every six years. The election is held under a two-round system; if no candidate receives more than 50% of votes cast in the first round, then a second ballot occurs in which only those two candidates who received the greatest number of votes in the first round may stand. The constitution grants the president the power to appoint the Chancellor and, by extension, federal cabinet ministers, Supreme Court justices, military officers, and most major bureaucrats. The president may dissolve the National Council. In practice, however, the president acts as a figurehead.
  Incumbent President Heinz Fischer had served two terms and was not eligible to be elected for a third successive term. In the first round of the election, Norbert Hofer of the Freedom Party of Austria historically received the most votes.
context_section_description: Hofer, the Freedom Party candidate, led in the first round of the election on 24 April with an unexpectedly strong 35 percent of the vote. Van der Bellen came second with 21 percent, and since Hofer failed to gain a majority the election proceeded to a run-off vote between the two, scheduled for 22 May. Independent Irmgard Griss came third with 19 percent, while Khol and Hundstorfer, representing the two governing parties, polled 11 percent each. Johannes Pollak described the result as a "political earthquake" and the Financial Times reported an "historic upset".
  The provisional result on 22 May gave Hofer 51.9% of the votes, not counting the absentee ballots, which were expected to favour Van der Bellen. Hence the outcome remained unclear pending the counting of absentee ballots on Monday 23 May. The final result, including absentee ballots, gave Van der Bellen 50.3%. He was to succeed Heinz Fischer as president on 8 July 2016.
  The Kronen Zeitung reported some election irregularities, such as a 146.9% turnout in Waidhofen an der Ybbs and another impossible result in Linz. According to the head of the Interior Ministry's election department, Robert Stein, the results (which were simply a reporting error) were to be corrected in the official results. FPÖ officials highlighted the discrepancies, but Hofer dismissed any suggestion of electoral fraud.
  On 8 June the FPÖ announced that they would contest the outcome in the Constitutional Court. Between 20 and 23 June the Constitutional Court questioned some 90 witnesses, mostly election officials from district election commissions. A ruling by the Constitutional Court was expected before 8 July, determining whether to organize a repeat vote in certain regions. Because of the complexity of the FPÖ's lawsuit, it also had been possible that ruling could come after 8 July. As a consequence, Alexander Van der Bellen's inauguration was to be postponed until a later date.
  On 1 July the Constitutional Court declared the second round of the election annulled, requiring a repeat of the election. The three presidents of the National Council (Doris Bures – SPÖ, Karlheinz Kopf – ÖVP, Norbert Hofer – FPÖ) are designated to collectively serve as Acting presidents of Austria, starting after President Heinz Fischer's term ends on 8 July and until the inauguration of the new President.
caption: Constitutional Court hearings on the FPÖ's election challenge (20–23 June)
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