2016 Austrian Presidential Election Sunday April 24,2016

The 2016 Austrian Presidential Election is scheduled to be held on Sunday April 24,2016, with a run-off on May 22,2016, if necessary

The Austrian Presidential Election is directly elected by universal adult suffrage once in every six years. The election is held under a 2-round system; if no candidate receives more than 50% of votes cast in the first round, then a second ballot occurs which only those two candidates who received the greatest number of votes in the first round may stand.

Incumbent President Heinz Fischer has served two terms and is not eligible to be elected for a third successive term.

Presidential Candidates

• Norbert Hofer , Freedom Party of Austria
• Alexander Van der Ballen,Independent(Affiliated to The Greens)
• Irmgard Griss,Independent
• Andreas Khol,Austrian People's Party
• Rudolf Hundstorfer,Social Democratic Party of Austria
• Richard Lugner, Independent

Presidential Election First Round Results 

Far-right tops first round of presidential vote

• Norbert Hofer , Freedom Party of Austria got 1363167 Votes(36.4%)
• Alexander Van der Ballen,Independent(Affiliated to The Greens)got763044(20.38%)
• Irmgard Griss,Independent got 693315(18.52%)
• Andreas Khol,Austrian People's Party got 418577(11.18%)
• Rudolf Hundstorfer got 18442(10.90%)
• Richard Lugner, Independent got 87879(2.35%)

The result means that for the first time since 1945, Austria will not have a president backed by either Chancellor Werner Faymann`s Social Democrats (SPOe) or their centre-right coalition partners the People`s Party (OeVP).
The centre-right OeVP`s candidate Andreas Khol came fourth with 11.18%, just ahead of SPOe`s Rudolf Hundstorfer on 10.90%

Norbert Hofer of the Freedom Party of Austria is likely to face Alexander Van der Bellen, an independent contender backed by the Greens in the Run-Off Presidential Election scheduled to be held on May 22,2016