2016 Austrian Presidential Election to be Re-run,Austria's Constitutional Court Rules Friday July 01,2016

Austrian far right leader Norbert Hofer has been granted a re-run of May 2016's presidential election which he lost by 30,000 votes over fears concerning absentee ballots. 

Norbert Hofer, the candidate of the Freedom Party, was ahead when the polls closed on May 22. However, his opponent Alexander Van der Bellen won when absentee ballots were counted.

However, Austria's Constitutional Court decided that rules in handling the absentee ballots had been breached, bringing the result into question. 

Once the absentee ballots were counted, Van Der Bellen was ahead by 30,000, with 50.3 % compared with 49.7 for Hofer. 

Hofer, right, was defeated by Green candidate Alexander der Bellen, left, in May's presidential election 

The Freedom Party complained following the vote claiming the law had been contravened in one way or another in most of the 117 electoral districts, including the sorting of absentee ballots before electoral commission officials arrived and related violations of the rules.

The rerun is expected to be held in September or October.

Court president Gerhart Holzinger said: 'The challenge brought by Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache against the May 22 election... has been upheld.' 

Friday's ruling stops in its tracks Van der Bellen's planned inauguration on July 8